Big Brother: The First Protector
by Mask of Two Sides
Summary: His creation was an accident, but after events saw his release, he became known by the Little Sisters as their 'Big Brother'. OC. Also started on Big Brother 2: The Second Wanderer.
1. Little Sister's Bigger Brother

**This isn't my first attempt at writing, but it is my first I've ever published here. I hope you like it.**

Lost Family

Somewhere in the Proving Grounds, a pair of Spider Splicers were laying low. It has been over two weeks since the Little Sisters dissapeared and all the Splicers were getting restless. They needed the ADAM that those girls were carrying, even if it meant they would have to fight their protectors, the Big Daddy.

These lumbering giants were aptly-named, for they were not only large, but would protect their charges to the best of their ablity. They would fight to their death if they had to, which was often since the Splicers were relentless in their need for ADAM. But with their armored diving suits, they were a force that could bash its way through any attack.

For the two Splicers, they wouldn't stand a chance against a Big Daddy on their own. Which was they they rounded up a group large enough to take one down. With any luck, the two would be the only survivors to harvest the Little Sister.

A dull thump was heard in the distance, a sign that a Big Daddy was coming in their direction. They heard another thump, and another as the lumbering giant slowly made its way towards the vent.

"Hurry, Mr. B!"

At those words, the trap was sprung early. Three dozen Spider and Thuggish Splicers came bursting out of the walls and ceiling while another two dozen Leadhead Splicers fired a wave of bullets from their pistols and machine guns. A dozen Nitro Splicers hurled their bombs while several Houndini Splicers as well, each hurling fire, lightning, or ice. None of the Splicers cared who got hit, as long as it was in the direction of the Big Daddy.

The violence was horrendous, as both Splicer and Big Daddy were bombarded by bullets, explosives, and various plasmids. The Big Daddy fared far better than the Splicers, but his armor could only sustain so much. It took a fireball hitting his air canister just to force him to his knees. But a lucky Spider Splicer had caught a grenade mid-flight and rammed it through his helmet's visor. The two were killed instantly.

When the damage was done and the smoke cleared, there was nothing left but piles of red mass and pieces of blood-soaked cloth and metal. They did this because the little sisters were almost immune to damage, as they possessed the ability to rapidly regenerate. The Splicers pounced on the pile, hoping to find her somewhere in the mess.

But where the need for ADAM had brought them together, it now had them tearing each other apart. Each wanted the ADAM, but the Little Sisters only had a limited amount and there were far too many Splicers to share. The battle had dropped their numbers by half, mostly Spider and Thuggish Splicers who had been caught by another's attack.

"Hurry, Mr. B!"

All the Splicers stopped what they were doing and looked in the direction of the voice. Their confusion came because what they saw was not a Little Sister. An armored figure stood at the enterance. Some of the Splicers turned to flee, but some stayed when they realized this wasn't another Big Daddy, or Big Sister. Although he didn't look quite as big as the other Big Daddy the Splicers had just killed, he had a menacing look to him. Hunched over by the metal plates covering his back, he had a primal appearance, like a dangerous animal standing on two legs.

The armored figure raised a tape recorder and pushed the button so the Splicers could hear, "Hurry, Mr. B!"

They had been tricked! So much death, and there never was a Little Sister! The Splicers rushed him, wanting nothing more than to add him to the mess under their feet. But the man just stood there and didn't even flinch as bullets and heated hooks flew past him. Once they were close enough, he raised a fist and punched one of the Thuggish Splicers.

The man wailed as he was propelled into the air and came crashing down on a Nitro Spicer, who dropped her grenade. The others tried to run but the Splicer's supply of explosives had scattered across the floor. Many Leadhead and Nitros vanished in the blast and all but one of the Houndini Splicers had managed to get away in time.

Another Splicer was struck by the man's powerful fist, knocking him through several others. His punches laid waste to any in their way, taking out the Splicers with ease. Any bullets and hooks that made it past the swarm were deflected, as if swatted away by an unseen hand. Once all the Thuggish and Spider Splicers were finished, the man hurled a harpoon attached to a cable. He speared one of the Leadheads and took hold of her machine gun. Even with his large hands, he was somehow able to wield the weapon with deadly efficiency. He took down several Leadheads and a Nitro Splicer with ease before casting the weapon away and running for cover.

Only a dozen Splicers remained, half of them being the Houndini Splicers who kept popping in and out of sight. But all they found was an emtpy room with a large metal sphere sitting against the wall.

The remaining Nitro stammed her misshapen foot, "Where did the metal bugger go?"

"Don't ask me, why couldn't you keep an eye on it?"

"Don't talk like that to me!" The woman held a grenade in a threatening manner.

"I'll talk any way I want to you-" he couldn't finish when the ball suddenly launched at them without warning. It bounced around a few times, crashing into any remaining splicers. Only three Houndini and the two Spider Splicers, who had the brains to stay out of the battle, were left. All of them took one look at the carnage and decided it was best to just leave. Their were crazy, but not stupid enough to keep trying by this point.

With them gone, the metal ball opened and the plating shifted back into place. The man stood and examined his surroundings. So much blood and death, they were so desperate for some ADAM. Unfortunately, the use of it was the reason they were in their condition in the first place. It was also why he was here too.

After locating a sack, the man fished through until he found a tape and put it in his tape recorder. He pressed the play button and let his his feet take him down an empty hallway.

_"Hello, my name is Patrick Drake and I am a resident of Rapture. It is now June 12, 1954. My assignment is to get close to the glowing 'biomass', as they call it, that is located on the ocean floor. The scientists don't know what it is, only that they know it has something to do with ADAM. I'm recording this so that I won't be forgotten if something happens to me. I don't know what will happen, or if the thing is safe, but I want to do something for my new home. We can't get anywhere if we don't take little risk now and again, right?"_

The man popped out the tape and looked for another one.

_"It is now December 15, 1954. From what I've been told, I passed out when I got close to the biomass. I don't have any memories of what happened, only that there was something strange about the light and it felt like I fell into a dream. I was told by my doctor that I'm not only ok, but I'm actually very healthy after what happened. I feel pretty damn good too. They're doing tests on me, just to make sure. I'm sure I'll be ok."_

_"Febuary 2, 1955. A lot's been going on. I don't know the details because I seem to be a test subject now. The exposure to the biomass has done something to my body and they were able to implant a slug inside me. Unfortunately, the thing doesn't seem to work quite as well, as any ADAM it makes seems to quickly break down and my body absorbs it. I don't like how they just put this thing inside me without my permission, but I've been getting stronger every day. I guess there's a silver lining in this."_

_"March 23, 1957. From the rumors I've been hearing, a lot's been going on. Andrew Ryan is fighting against some guy named Fontaine. I thought Fontaine was the one who helped bring about those plasmids the scientist guys around here were developing. They put a few in me just a few months ago and they are a true marvel. If only the ladies could see me now, I have muscles like a god and I never tire. Course, the only way I'm getting out is if I help protect one of the 'Little Sisters', as they're called. When I got a picture of one of them, they looked just like your average little girl, but their eyes glow like someone put fireflies in their heads. But after being in here so long, I wouldn't mind if it meant I could see my family. I bet they're so worried about me."_

_"April 11, 1957. I'm finally out. The guys in the labs put me in this suit so I could be useful around Rapture. It's armored, so I can take a hit, and it allows me to go outside into the ocean again. It's uncomfortable at times, but it'll do. I've also been given the responcibility of taking care of Sara, my Little Sister. It's strange calling her that, cause she's not really my sister. I don't know why, but I feel some kind of connection with her and the rest of them. Even the Big Daddies sort of like me, or at least they don't seem to mind me being around their Little Sisters. The girls have even started to call me 'Big Brother'. I guess it fits, what with the slugs in our bellies. We're just one big twisted family."_

The sounds of tiny feet could be heard before a young girl cried, _"Big Brother, come on! I can smell an angel!"_

_"Alright, you wait for me. This whole 'angel' thing really creeps me out, but if all this keeps Andrew Ryan happy, then I get to stay out of the labs. I just wish the Big Daddies could talk since everyone else is scared of me."_

_"Hurry, Big Brother!"_

_"Alright, signing off now, Sara's getting impatient. I really need to find another tape."_

The man stopped for a second and looked out into the ocean. A school of fish were swimming by, all content with the presence of each other. Rapture was like that once, but now it was every man for himself. The only time the Splicers would work together was when there was ADAM to be had. The swarm he'd recently dealt with was just such a group. But once the deed is done, they would go their seperate ways if they hadn't killed each other first.

Just as he was about to start moving again, his heavy foot hit something. It was a doll of some sort. Different pieces were put together on a baseball to make it look like a Big Daddy. Now why would it be here? He put it in a sack of objects he found, along side a genetic key, an empty plasmid vial, and several other objects, all found while he wandered the remains of Rapture.

A loud shot pierced the silence and the man discovered a damaged Big Daddy trying to bolt a leak in the wall. But his aim was off and he didn't have the strength to plant his rivet gun in the right place. He must have been attacked some time ago, for his wounds looked healed over. There was no way he could ever go outside ever again with the shape his armor was in.

The Big Daddy dropped his rivet gun and fell to his knees so he could die of exhaustion. His body was grafted to his suit, so the damage had left him exposed to the cold. Normally, this wouldn't have been enough, but this Big Daddy had been hurt for so long without repair. It was too late to help him. The man watched as the lights in his helmet dimmed and faded to black, showing that there was no more mental activity. The man didn't mourn the Big Daddy's passing, knowing that this meant he was finally free from this place.

He picked up the rivet gun and sealed the leak. It wouldn't last, but it would prevent flooding for some time. He dragged the Big Daddy out of the area and to a place where he could find some oil. He laid the body to rest and used the oil to light it on fire. This was probably the first time someone had done this for a Big Daddy, and it would probably be the last.

With the rivet gun in hand, the armored man pressed the reverse button on his tape recorder and quickly hit play. _"I just wish the Big Daddies could talk since everyone else is scared of me."_


	2. Remembering the Forgotten

It was dark, but the world around him was far from silent. After waiting for nearly two days, Big Brother's hearing was picking up every little sound. From the screech of the pipes to the dripping of water, he heard it all. But there were the occasional sound of a person, a Splicer, coming close to where he hid.

But they would see the signs that showed who's territory this was and would back off. These encounters were few in number, letting him rest in peace. But just in case, he kept his cable lying before him, waiting for somethign to walk by. Like a spider waiting for movement on its web, he waited.

His head came up and he dragged a Splicer into the room, kicking and screaming for dear life. When the Splicer managed to grab something to hold onto, Big Brother pulled harder, flinging the Splicer into a wall. The impact snapped the man's neck and shattered his ribs, killing him almost instantly.

But while the Splicer was still warm, Big Brother used a large hyperdermic needle he took from a Big Sister. He and the remaining Big Sisters were the only ones left who could harvest ADAM, but their bodies were unable to recycle it properly. So it stayed with them, unable to be passed on or processed. This was why the Splicers were becoming more and more desperate. While they knew about his territory, desperation was drawing them closer.

His cable snapped out again, only to be deflected by a piece of floating rubble. The intruder was quick to leave before he could draw it back for another strike. Big Brother knew this was just another part of the chaos that was gripping Rapture. Even after the dissapearence of the Little Sisters, the Big Sisters were still out on the prowl.

It was because he had a scent that was similar to theirs, made sounds like the Big Daddies they loved in their twisted manner. This was why they had such interest in him. Unfortunately, they were too prone to violence and had little care as to how hard they fought if there wasn't a Little Sister in the area. When Big Brother looked upon the dead Splicer, he had to wonder if he was becoming more like them.

By instinct, he hurled a harpoon into the shadows, only to have it thrown back. It bounced, harmlessly, off a wall and sent echos all through the room. The Big Sister just stood there, watching him. She turned her head as if trying to hear something distance. Then she was off into the darkness, her piercing scream shattering the silence, sending unseen Splicers running for their lives.

Big Brother retrieved his harpoon and sat himself down, content to just sit and rest for another few hours. He hurled his cable out into the hall and pulled out his tape recorder to listen to. He had to look around in his sack for the tape he wanted, but he found it.

_"Big Brother, what does this light mean?"_

_"That means you turned it on. Why don't you say something?"_

_"Like what, Big Brother?"_

_"I don't know, why not about you?"_

_"Oh, ok! Hi, I'm Sara, and I'm Big Brother's Little Sister! We go all around looking for angels. I have a good nose so I can sniff where they like to hide. They like to hide all over, so I have Big Brother come with me to look for them. If a scary person comes, Big Brother protects me. He's just like the Big Daddy's that help the other girls like me. I heard a boy say Big Brother was 'my knight in shining armor'. Big Brother, what is a knight?"_

_"A knight is a man in a metal suit who protects a maiden when she is in danger."_

_"But I thought I was your Little Sister, aren't I?"_

_"You are, but if I'm your knight, then you are also my maiden, who I have to protect."_

_"Wow, I have a knight! Oh, I smell an angel, Big Brother!"_

_"Alright, let's turn this off then."_

_"Big Brother, what's a maiden?"_

The tape ended there, sparking a memory of laughter long lost to thoughts of brutal survival. It echoed so deep within his mind that only his large bulk and armor prevented him from shaking. The sounds of a thousand bullets couldn't silence it, or the screams of a hundred Big Sisters. But, in the end, he found no desire for it to end.

The cable snapped tight, hurling another Splicer into the wall above him before he hurled it back out. The distraction was enough for Big Brother to snap out of his thoughts. He rolled up into a ball, the plates on his back unfolding to envelop him. Becaues of his make-up, he had developed the power of Tactile Tekekinesis, meaning anything he could touch could be controlled. By pushing against the floor on contact, he could build momentum. And because he didn't get sick or disoriented, he could roll for as long as he wished.

To make steering easier, Big Brother simply bumped into a wall, bouncing his way down the hallways. When he came across a small bunch of Splicers, he focused his power beneath himself like a bubble and forced it to burst. This launched him into the air, scattering the Splicers like bowling pins.

Those who survived soon realized what had hit them and were running for thier lives, but they would return. The scent of ADAM was here, getting stronger every day with the continued existence of him and the Big Sisters.

Once again, blood had been spilled in the name of survival. It was kill or be killed, a fate nobody should have had to face when Rapture was built. Big Brother didn't even wish it on the Splicers, who were suffering far more than himself. Even trapped within this suit, his mind was his, while they were prisoners trapped in their insanity.

Big Brother took out his tape recorder and searched his sack for another tape. When he couldn't find it, he dug deeper and felt a wave of relief when he found it by a package, still wrapped in waterproof material.

_"Hey, this is a reminder to myself that it has been one year after I was paired up with Sara. I don't want to forget that I ordered a dress to be made for her. It wasn't easy getting her measurements, these hands have been getting bigger lately. In fact, I think I need to get my armor adjusted soon. Anyway, her blue dress is dirty and torn from the time she spends in the ventilation ducts. I hope she likes the new one when it comes. I had to pay extra for tear-resistant materials."_

_"Where are you Big Brother? I can't get down without you."_

_"Time to go! Oh ya, it's March 20, 1958."_

Big Brother replaced the tape and turned it on, wanting something to listen to as he walked down the hall. He didn't know where his feet were taking him, only that walking let his mind see the ghosts of past memories.

_"It is June 17, 1958, . I met up with a different kind of Big Daddy today. I heard about him being the first Big Daddy, his design taken after my own. Seems like my armor was took too much metal, so they made something lighter for him. They call him Subject Delta. I don't know why, but what can I say, I've come to calling myself Big Brother these days. After a year of working like this, I have no idea how I missed him all this time. Sara, you be careful now and don't wander off."_

_"I won't Big Brother, Mr. B is watching us."_

_"He's just like all the others, silent like a statue but cares for his Little Sister. I still have to wonder, how he got that drill of his when all I got was this harpoon and a spool of cable? I can't really complain, though, as I don't miss very often with them anyways. Plus I've been 'fishing' for trouble-makers with the cable on my time off. I don't know how it works yet, but I can just feel it when someone touches it, even when I can't see or hear them."_

Big Brother took the tape out and put it in his pouch. Then he fished for another. When his finger touched it, something sparked in his mind, like a memory trying to force its way back from the depths. He made sure to catch the tape in question and looked at it. It looked like all the others, but there he remembered this one, so he slipped it in.

_"It's September 18, 1958, and things are happening. I don't know too many details cause people are getting scared about my appearance. I've gained a lot of weight and my armor has been altered yet again. I'm bigger, heavier, and I'm looking more like a golem in someone's fantasy novel than a person anymore. Anyways, I overheard that Frank Fontaine has kicked the bucket. Everyone thinks that Andrew Ryan finally got him in something. It's either that, or he just wanted the guy dead. Things are just chaotic now."_

_"Big Brother, it's so noisy here, can we go somewhere else?"_

_"Ok, smell any angels?"_

_"It's hard to tell with so many people."_

_"Alright, just let me turn this off and we'll go somewhere else. I just hope this doesn't blow up..."_

Big Brother stopped for a second to see that he was standing before the bulkhead door of one of the airlocks. Many of these were either broken down or useless, what with the amount of water that had drowned many sections of Rapture. He slipped his sack into a metal case that he hid in a corner of the room. With his stuff safe from the water pressure, he walked inside and flipped the switch.

As the water poured in, he was reminded how cold the world outside Rapture was. It was actually a pleasent reminder that he was still alive, one that told him to stay ready to defend what was left of his home from the madness.

Then, from the corner of his eye, he saw a flash of blue-


	3. Memories of the Lost

Big Brother stood there for a second, unable to look away from the blue dress. The only movement he made was a telekinetic twitch in his armor. He was right, it was a dress, but it was just one of the many that all the Little Sisters were given. It was lost when the area it called home flooded. Now it lay to rest here, left to rot away in a world where it would never find the girl that would call it her own.

He forced himself to turn away and walked forward, trying not to turn back. He reached for his sack, only to remember that he was outside in the water. To open the case would ruin everything. Unable to listen to one of his tapes, he took off like a bulky torpedo. Because of his special form of telekinesis, he could force the water to 'flow' around him that it pushed him along.

It was only when he crashed through a window that he paid any attention to his surroundings. He found himself in the flooded ruins of Ryan Amusements. There were several dead Splicers who drowned when the seals broke. He let himself sink to the bottom and started to wander. There were so few areas that were still dry, but he had to wonder if there were others. He hoped to find a pocket of air that had become trapped, giving the possibility of somewhere to rest.

As he wandered, he looked up at the ruins of the Rapture Memorial Museum. He felt something surging inside of him, and when he opened his eyes, everything was bright and dry and he was surrounded by people. They were going about with their lives, either to see the museum or leaving from it. Those who took notice of him only did so because they wanted to stay out of his way. Even if he had no intention of harming them, he was so large and heavy that merely bumping into them would knock them over.

"Big Brother, can we go see the museum?"

Big Brother smiled as Sara, his Little Sister, ran ahead. "Alright, but we can't go on the rides, I'm getting a little big for them." He patted his stomach, which was actually flat as a board and stronger to boot.

"Can I sit on your shoulder and watch, then?"

"Alright. Just don't get scared and start crying, I might rust."

"I don't cry!" she stamped her foot and crossed her arms, causing several people to look at them.

"I didn't say you do, I just wanted to make sure." She didn't respond to that, so he had to change tactics. "Why don't we go check the gift shop when we're done. If we're lucky, we might be able to find you a teddy bear." That got her attention and she already had her arms up so he could lift her to his shoulder. "Alright, let's go."

The door automatically opened for him when it detected his signature. For everyone else, they required a ticket to get the door opened or had to be on the other side. The two walked into a large room lined with booths that explained the creation of Rapture. Sara was quickly bored with them and ran ahead. The two passed the gift shop and the Hall to the Future and walked through another door to see a familiar sight.

There was Andrew Ryan, or at least, a mechanical replica of him. Sara pushed the button on the pedestal in front of the booth and squeaked when the robot moved. She decided against doing that again and ran down the steps and past a family coming back up. They quickly got out of the way when Big Brother came down.

"Mommy, what's that?"

He stopped and turned when he heard the child's question, "I'm Big Brother."

The parents were horrified to hear him speak, thinking of him as the new design of Big Daddy. The woman scooped up her child and the two almost ran out of there. Big Brother simply shrugged and searched for his Little Sister. She didn't get far as a security officer was waiting with her at his side.

"You really should keep a better eye on her," he said in a stern tone. The man was short and slightly overweight, but he was a good man, Big Brother knew him well.

"I know Harold, but you remember what your kids were like, right?"

The man laughed, "I sure do, but I'm glad mine are teens now and found themselves some work."

"Good to hear." Big Brother turned to Sara, "Now no running off. There's too much happening here for you to dissapear. There's no telling where a Splicer will jump out and catch you."

Sara tried to look ashamed, but a smile and a giggle broke the effect, "I know."

"There's no keeping this one down," mentioned Harold. "Well, good luck. Hopefully we won't be needing your survices today."

"We both know that the Splicers won't allow that. Idiots keep thinking that the Big Daddies are pushovers. At least until one of them gets a _push over_ a ledge."

Harold laughed and patted Big Brother's shoulder, a very rare occurence. But the two had known each other even before he became what he was. "Well, be sure to be on the lookout for a group of children here. They're here on a sleepover for the new year."

"Big Brother, come on! I smell an angel!"

"Alright, let's go."

Sara ran off again, back up the stairs to a maintenence door near the enerance with Big Brother lumbering behind. Even though she was out of sight again, she didn't get far when he spotted a Big Daddy already there. From the design, it was a Bouncer.

He carried a large drill with his right hand while Sara was holding his left. The Bouncer turned when he noticed Big Brother, the yellow lights in his helmet and low groan showing that he was aware of the new presence. Other than a groan, the Bouncer didn't seem to mind it when Sara left to take her place with Big Brother again. As the two walked down another set of stairs, the Bouncer decided to follow them. It was a good thing because that allowed Big Brother to sit Sara on his head. From there, she couldn't run off any more and get into any trouble. The Bouncer groaned again, but didn't take any actions other than to follow Big Brother. As for Sara, she giggled with every few steps the Big Daddy took as she made it game to stay upright.

Just as they were leaving the maintenence hall, the three heard a woman scream. Big Brother knew that it was because a pair of mechanical hands had just torn the roof off a farmer's house. It was just one of the things Andrew Ryan built to tell people how 'evil' the surface world was. It went on about how the government and religions would take all your stuff and all that. These days, Big Brother didn't care about that stuff any more. Chances were high that he would never see the surface again. But with Sara by his side, he had no worries about it.

The three waited as the ride cart carrying a man and woman came rolling around the corner. The woman took one look at them and screamed. When Big Brother waved at the two, she screamed again, hurled her teddy bear at him, then threw her arms around the man's neck. The man, who wasn't quite as surprised by them, had a wide grin on his face as he pretended to shield her from them.

Big Brother couldn't believe his glowing yellow eyes, "That dirty dog, the scheme actually works! I guess I'll take this for helping out." He picked the fallen teddy bear off the floor and handed it to Sara. "Looks like we don't have to see the gift shop after all."

"I'll call him...Little Brother!"

He would have smiled, if only the image stayed with him. But the sight of his Little Sister and the Big Daddy faded until he was left standing before a ruined rail. The area was filled with water, bringing nothing but the silence of the depths. Only the light of his headlamp showed the way, but after what he had seen, he hardly cared anymore. To remember the laugher and bright face of his Little Sister, even with all that she was, took a heavy toll upon him. He didn't know how long he stood there until a yellow light flashed before his eyes.

Big Brother's head came up and spotted a Big Sister walking into the light he projected. She just stood there like she wanted to see what he would do. He just stood there, unable to comprehend why she was so curious. He heard a muffled cry, a sound dulled by the water between them, but he heard it none-the-less. She wanted something from him, but her powers were limited under water. Telekinesis was too slow while Incinerate was completely useless. While she could swim, even in her armor, she didn't have her usual agility to do combat. Plus her opponent was over twice her weight, stood nearly a foot higher than her, and was much stronger. This was how he was shaped to become over time, but his diet of ADAM he harvested over time only added to it. He also possessed armor stronger than a Big Daddy's, having been constructed by careful use of his powers.

If he had wished to, he could walk over and crush her head before she ever had a chance to get away. Water wasn't any hindrance to him when it could be moved across his body like anything else he touched. But he wondered, what the point was to doing something like that? She wasn't making any threatening movements and didn't seem concerned when he strolled up to her. Even while hunched over, she only just stood equal to his head. If he stood tall like her, he would have stood nearly two feet higher than her. The yellow light emnating from their visors glowed more intensly as the two stared into the helmet of the other. It was almost impossible to discern any details of their faces.

Big Brother's light suddenly turned red as he couldn't stand looking into the yellow light of the Big Sister. He roared and swung his fist in a threatening manner. She seemed shocked at first, then kicked off the ground to plant her feet into his face before swimming off. He would have followed and dealt with her in a more permanent manner but the thought didn't appeal to him. Instead, he found that it would be wise just to ignore her now that she was leaving him alone again.

He wandered about, stopping to look at the different displays Andrew Ryan had built to show people the horrors of the surface. It was all junk now, useless as anything but another thing for the fish to swim around. Big Brother turned away from them and left for the exit.

"Where to now, Big Brother?" someone asked him.

He turned to his Little Sister and shrugged, "Well, since that Big Daddy found himself a Little Sister of his own, we can take the tram and go to the next stop."

As they were leaving, the lights suddenly went out for and the backup generators kicked in. The door was locked up tight and wouldn't open, even to Big Brother's signature. He would have kicked the door in, but there was a heavy battle going on outside. What was going on out there?

"Hey, what's going on?"

"I don't know, the power's gone!"

"The other door's not working!"

"We're trapped!"

Big Brother scooped up his Little Sister and searched for Harold. He passed by a group of children, all about Sara's age. Among them was a single young woman who was charged with taking care of them. She was trying her best to keep them calm, but there were sounds of the fight coming inside. A Spider Splicer came crawling into view on the ceiling, laughing as he had found himself a Little Sister. As his hooks began to heat up in his hands, all he got was a harpoon through his chest. Big Brother whipped out his cable and retrieved his weapon, Splicer still stuck on it.

The children began to scream in terror at the sight of the degenerated face of the man and so Big Brother dragged it away. He had to find Harold, for he might know what to do. But right now, he had to deal with the other Splicers coming his way. They were gunning down the people who were trying to escape, but many were caught in their carts. Those people were easy prey, while those who ran were killed by a hail of bullets or hooks in their backs. He saw Harold fall when a Thuggish Splicer ran up and brained him with his wrench.

One of the Splicers, a Leadhead, had his pistol ripped from his hands and was given a harpoon in return. It punched through his chest and pinned him against a wall before it was torn free again. The lifeless Splicer dropped to the floor just as two more fell to bullet holes that pierced their skulls.

"I got the girl!" Big Brother roared and his light turned red as a Houndini Splicer vanished with Sara. When he saw the woman reappear, he took off running, not caring about what was in his way. Splicers ran in fear as he charged down the rails, crushing anyone of them caught in his way. Those who weren't killed immediately were tossed aside, only to die from many broken bones and ruptured organs. Everything he touched was repelled with enough force to break them apart and leave them scattered like leaves.

"Big Brother!"

"Shut up you, you're coming with me!" the Houndini Splicer had to fight with the girl, who slipped free several times now. But the Splicer was quick to nab her every time.

"Just get it over with and get the ADAM already!" yelled a Splider Splicer.

"Then get down here and help me! If you want some, you're going to have to earn it first!"

"Like I'd fall for your tricks!"

"What, like this one?" the Houndini Splicer pulled back her arm and hurled a ball of flame at the other. Her aim was off by only a few feet, sending the Spider Splicer skittering across the ceiling. He didn't get far when a cable snapped around his arm and pulled him down. He screamed in terror as he was dragged out of view. Then his screams were replaced with the sounds of bones being ground to dust.

You can't have her!" the Houndini Splicer hurled another fireball, and then another. But they flowed across Big Brother's massive chest like water on a duck's back. "What the hell are you?"

"You wanted to hurt my Little Sister...nobody hurts my Little Sister..." he was physically shaken, his armor rattling as a result. The Splicer must have believed this was her chance, for she hurled another fireball. But it merely bounced off and fell into his hand. "NOBODY HURTS MY SARA!"

It was as if the flame he now held became the manifestation of his rage. It spread across both hands until they burned like an inferno, flowing like liquid hellfire. He grabbed his cable, spreading the flames across it too.

"Hide, now!" he cried and the Little Sister ran for cover. He flung his weapon as the Splicer grabbed for the girl, slicing her hand off by the sheer amount of force he put into it. The flames sealed her wound almost immediately, so there wasn't any blood to be spilled. He whipped it out again, taking off her foot so she couldn't run. She was in so much pain that she couldn't teleport.

She tried to scream, but one lash of his cable stopped that. The rage was still building within him and wouldn't let go so easily. This one stole his Little Sister so she could take her ADAM and he could never forgive that. With no way to scream, nobody would know what happened to this little Splicer.

When it was done, Big Brother found Sara under a table, holding a singed Little Brother in her arms. He reached for her, but came up with nothing. He blinked and she was gone. He looked around, ready to burn with rage until he remembered where he was. There were no Splicers, no poeple, and no Little Sister, just him and the fishes. His light turned from red to a dim yellow. He was exhausted now and needed to rest.

Big Brother lumbered out of that place, hoping to forget all that happened. When he came across the door, it was still closed. He hefted his foot and smashed the thing open. On the other side, the remains of several Splicers lay on the floor, picked clean by fish and other marine life. One of them was holding a canister of coffee, which he took without much thought.

After kicking out a window and propelling himself back to the airlock, he was running on fumes. He had plenty of EVE left, but his physical reserves were almost drained. He flipped the switch and stumbled through. He hunted down a stash of canned meat, removed his helmet, and popped open the coffee. The special seal meant that it was still good and hot, even after all this time.

He devoured the meat and gulped down the coffee before it had a chance to cool. It burned as it went down, but it felt so good to have something in him again.

He would never notice the dim yellow light glowing in the shadows.


	4. A Sister's Touch

The Leadhead Splicer had to hurry before the metal man woke up. He had just stolen a metal box with the hopes that it contained some ADAM or maybe a few powerful plasmids. He hurried down the hallway, trying to find a path that wasn't flooded or blocked with rubble.

When a Thuggish Splicer got in his way, he fired a round, chasing the other away. Unfortunately, doing just that upset the others who were farther down the hall. Being shot at without cause drew them out like hornets.

"Hey, what's that you got?" one of the Splicers asked. A wide smile formed beneath his rabbit mask, which was covered in grease and blood.

"Get lost, it's mine!" the Leadhead yelled and waved his gun around. But all he had was a pistol, while there were several Thuggish Splicers, all armed with wrenches and pipes.

One managed to sneak in from behind and cried, "It's mine!"

"Back off!" the Leadhead turned and shot him point-blank in the face, dropping him to the floor.

"Get him!" another cried before taking another two bullets. Another bullet found its way into a Splicer's stomach while the other two missed. Without any more bullets, the Leadhead Splicer was nearly defenseless.

Suddenly, one of the Splicers were struck down by a large rock while another was set aflame. Her screams were drowned by those of another. The Thuggish Splicers knew who was coming, but it was the Leadhead who feared for his life even more. He had taken something from that strange-looking Big Daddy, and now it seemed as if Big Sister wanted it for herself.

He ran for his life, he ran for his treasure, but mostly he just ran. He kept on running for as long as his degenerated legs could carry him. But years without enough ADAM have left him soft and weakened. He needed the ADAM the box had to be carrying. He ran into a storage room and waited until he didn't hear anything outside. He relaxed and sat down to see about opening the box. There was a combination lock on it, but he simply beat at it with his gun. He beat away at it for nearly an hour until the lock broke apart. He had done it! All the ADAM he could want was now...

"What is this junk!" he cried in utter despair. He had risked his life for a bunch of tape recordings and random objects that he had no need for. There was no ADAM and no plasmids.

To make matters worse, the door opened to reveal a red light. The Leadhead Splicer was speared through the heart by a large needle and lifted off the ground as his blood was drained. The Big Sister tossed the drained corpse to the floor, adding it to the many that lay forgotten. It would only be a matter of time before she and the Big Daddies joined them.

She was about to leave when she saw the open box and moved closer to take a look inside. She found a strange-looking key and a package with a dress in it. She paused when she realized that it was still in perfect condition by the clear wrapping. Then she fiddled with the tape recorder, as she didn't know how it worked.

When it popped open, she nearly jumped, but then she noticed the tape inside. She removed it and studied it. She put it back with the others and took another out. She slipped it in the same way she saw the first and closed it. She fiddled with it some more until she got it to work.

_"I don't remember what the date is anymore. Ever since the death of Andrew Ryan, thing's have been crazy. I was hoping I could find Doctor Tenenbaum, but I haven't seen her in some time. Did she leave? She was always a strange woman, especially around Sara. I remember Sara would always hum this little tune. Tenenbaum would always tell Sara to stop whenever she was around, but at least once I heard her humming the same tune. Now all I can do is hope that I can protect Sara. A number of Little Sisters have left Rapture, but Sara has decided to stay. But I'm so tired now. I haven't slept in over a month and I'm only going because of the tonics and plasmids in me. I'm so tired...I just want to sleep..."_

The Big Sister stared at the the recorder after it had stopped. It took the sounds of gunfire to shake her from her thoughts. She scooped up everything back into the sack they were in. The lock on the box was damaged beyond repair, so she left it while she tied the sack to the metal cage her back.

Several Splicers were attacking a lone Big Daddy, a Rosie. There wasn't any reason for this beyond desperation and ADAM-induced madness. They kept coming, pouring out of the woodwork to overwhelm this lone giant.

She caught some of their explosives using her telekinesis and hurled them back at them, blowing away several Splicers with each one. She screamed afterwards, throwing them into chaos. They hadn't expected to see Big Sister coming to get them when there wasn't a Little Sister around.

Many ran away, only to be chased by the injured Big Daddy, but over a dozen stayed, wanting to take her out as well. They fired a barrage of bullets, grenades, and fireballs in her direction, but she was already on the move.

She took to leaping up the wall, using any and all footholds she could find with surprising agility. The grenades were of no use, so the others kept up their assault. She dealt with the fireballs by snatching them out of the air with telekinesis and hurled them back. More Splicers died, with just the Houndini's able to get away. Then the Big Sister jumped onto a ledge and dissapeared from sight.

"Where'd she go?" one of the Splicers cried.

"Don't know. Get one of those vanishing freaks to go check it out."

A Houndini appeared before them, "Forget that, I'm not going!" She dissapeared in a red cloud. She returned seconds later, being pulled onto Big Sister's needle with telekenisis. She screamed as her body was drained of its fluids. Then she was cast aside as the Big Sister turned to face the rest.

"Get h-aah!" the Splicer was rammed from behind by a large drill. The Rosie had returned along with an Elite Bouncer. The two Big Daddies charged, crashing through the remaining numbers with ease. On their own, the two could take down several Splicers. But paired up like this, even with the Rosie in it's condition, they were nearly unstoppable. Adding the Big Sister into the mix meant that the Splicers had no chance and all of them fell, one by one.

The fight was over as quickly as the Elite Bouncer could enter it, with it ending with the last Leadhead Splicer having his spine ripped apart. The Rosie's light began to flicker and it dropped to its knees. It struggled to get back up, but it's body was peppered with bullet wounds, burn marks, and shrapnel. Its armor was in shambles and its air tank was leaking.

The Big Sister ignored it, for it was of no more concern to her. She left to retrieve the box and ran off to where she would find Big Brother. He was just getting up when she left the box out in the open for him. With it returned, she dissapeared into the shadows to watch him.

x

When Big Brother awoke, he was putting his helmet back on when he realized that his prized possessions were missing. But before he could react, he found them sitting several feet in front of him. The lock was broken, but nothing inside was missing. He discarded the box, knowing where another one was, and put the bag away.

He listened for a moment, hearing something was amiss. There were footsteps coming in his direction, but they were too heavy to be a Splicer. A Rosie came into view, severely injured and beyond saving. It faultered and nearly fell over trying to correct itself. Then it toppled over, falling into Big Brother's arms. It tried to get back up, but it was too weak now.

Big Brother watched as it's light was flickering, a sign of its injuries. Then it's light went dark, never to cast it's glow ever again. Big Brother removed his spear from its chest and laid it against the wall. Using a barrel of oil, he covered the Big Daddy in it and set it alight.

He watched it burn, wondering if this was going to become normal for him. There was once an army of Big Daddies, but their numbers were dwindelling. How many more were there? 10? 20? He didn't know. But no matter how many of them died, he would still remain. He was stronger and smarter than those other protectors, but did that mean anything here?

He didn't feel like listening to one of his recordings. He just stood there and watched the Big Daddy burn. He didn't mourn its passing, just as he didn't with the first, but something told him to stay with this one.

As the fires died down, he added more oil and let the heat wash over him. There were so few moments that he could feel warm. Everything about Rapture was cold and unforgiving, even if it wasn't flooded. Once the body had been reduced, Big Brother wandered off. It didn't matter where, just that he was on the move.

A lone Splicer stumbled onto his path, clearly injured. Big Brother didn't know what to make of this one. He wasn't running and he didn't look like he was about to fight. He just stood there, as if waiting for death to come and claim him, to take him away from this forsaken place.

Big Brother reached out and did just that. It was easy.

He left the body where it lay and kept going. He didn't care about the Splicers, they were nothing more than a memory. Soon, they would be nothing more than a forgotten memory, to be washed away by the chilling waters. The water would bring death to all but him and those like him. Those who weren't immune to the deathly cold and crushing pressure would not survive the day Rapture finally collapses.

But what would he do then? Would there be anything left for him, the Big Daddies, and the Big Sisters when this city was gone? It was a thought that would have never crossed his mind if he still had his Little Sister. He would keep wandering the city, content on one foot moving in front of the other. But he knew in his heart that there was no chance that he would ever find her. It has been three years since the city began to flood, and not a single Little Sister has been found. He wasn't sure as to how the Splicers have survived for so long with their bodies needing ADAM so much.

He brushed that thought out of his mind as he wandered into a room where a battle had gone on. Bodies lay everywhere from explosions, crushed under heavy slabs of rock, and being burned alive. Their days were numbered, that much was obvious.

Another group, only about five in all, came rushing out to strike him down. A single stomp was all it took to shake them off their feet. Then there was a sudden chill in the air as two of the Splicers were struck down by small, pointed icicles, made from the water flowing up Big Brother's body and onto his hand. It froze on the tips of his fingers and were shot with incredible force and rapid speed. The rest didn't have time to get up when they were shot full of icicles, freezing them to their core. Big Brother stomped again and they shattered to pieces.

The water flowed onto his back and turned into a chunk of ice. It was cold, but he was used to it before beginning of his service. He had mastered the cold since before he became what he was. It was the cold that killed the fires in his heart, made him serve Rapture like any Big Daddy. But he would remember that warm glow every time he looked in the eyes of his Little Sister. Without her, though, the cold had returned in force. His heart that was once warmed up by the sounds of a child's laughter, were frozen solid. Part of his soul, which once came alive at the touch of a child's delicate hand, were long dead.

Only the cold remained, and he was grateful for it. It meant that he would never feel the weight of death's hand on his shoulder. He would walk forever as long as his legs could carry him. He would walk until he found his Little Sister and heard her voice one last time. His time would never come until she defrosted his frozen soul. Until then, death itself could not touch him. Rapture was feeling the chill though. With every passing day, with every Big Daddy slain, the bonds holding the city up were failing. Soon, its heart would stop and the only sounds would be the sounds of his footsteps.

Three more Splicers appeared before him, each brandishing machine guns. But as soon as they aimed their weapons, each were blown away by an explosion of ice. Their bodies were frozen before they ever hit the ground and were crushed under a heavy foot.


	5. Big Daddy Rescue

**Because I've been busy, especially with one of my Soul Eater Fanfics, Darkness Came Before Insanity, Big Brother fell into neglect. But thanks to all your support, I'm going to try and write more.**

**To make up for it, here's and interesting fact: the glowing biomass I wrote about in the first chapter is something I read about being located somewhere in the first game. It's located on the sea floor and you can see it by looking out one of the windows. That's what I read on Bioshock Wiki at least. Google it.**

**As for Big Brother himself, he came about when I came across one of the concepts for a Big Daddy. His armor was mostly around his shoulders and back, hense why Big Brother is hunched over as he is. His tape recorder came about as a way to explain who he is, or was, in his case. But as you will see, it's not the only way to show the past.**

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In one of of the many passageways, built from glass and steel, Splicers scattered as a large metal ball barrels towards them. It came out of nowhere, bouncing across the walls and right through their small gang. Whoever wasn't dead or broken got up and started running when it opened to reveal Big Brother.

"That was fun!" cried a Little Sister as she hung off his arm, which was as big as she was now. But the joy in her glowing eyes was replaced with fear as some of the Splicers decided to come at them. "They're coming back!" Big Brother held her tight to his stomach and rolled up around her, forming a protective shell.

"Get the girl!"

"You fools, he's getting ready to launch!" cried one of the smarter Splicers, but by then, it was too late.

Big Brother launched himself off the ground, bouncing off the walls like he was made of rubber. One of the Splicers tried to duck for cover, but was promptly flattened under muscle and steel. But before he could bounce away, one of the Splicers hit him with Winter Blast, freezing the blood. Suddenly brought to a halt, Sara flew out of Big Brother's grip as his momentum forced him open. The frozen blood was stuck to his back, and he thrashed about like a flipped sea turtle, but there was little he could do. He couldn't get his feet or hands on the floor to break the ice. And the Splicer was quickly reinforcing it with more.

Sara, dazed after falling flat on the floor, picked herself up and grabbed onto his boot, trying desperately to help. But there was no way her tiny body could ever move her protector, as he was so much bigger and heavier than she was.

"Well now, look what we have here boys." The Splicers gathered around, laughing as Big Brother struggled against the ice. But the one armed with Winter Blast hit him again, freezing his arms and legs. Unable to struggle any longer, Big Brother did the only thing he could: he roared.

It was a great bellow that echoed throughout the halls, causing everyone to cover their ears. But once their ears stopped ringing, the Splicers started laughing again.

"Let me go!" Sara screamed as one of the Splicers grabbed her by her arm. The man only grinned from under his rabbit mask as he pulled out a blood-stained knife.

"You'll be my third this month, now shut up and play dead!" The girl closed her eyes as the blade came down, but it never made it to her. "Does anyone hear something?" the Splicer asked.

Big Brother roared again, distracting the Splicers long enough for the girl to run away. "Damn you and that voice of yours! Here, maybe this will fix ya!"

Big Brother's helmet was pulled off before the Splicer silenced him. Blood sprayed everywhere as he coughed, trying to keep his throat clear. He struggled to get free, but he was so cold now, the ice chilling him to the bone.

"Hey, the noise is getting louder!" The other Splicers were starting to panic, unable to determine what the strange rumbling sound was. Finally, one of them broke from the group and ran around a corner, only to return, screaming for his mother to save him.

"Mister Bubbles to the rescue!" a Little Sister cried as her Big Daddy came rushing in. But he wasn't alone, as many more came charging down the hall. Like a herd of enraged bison, they crashed through everything in their wake. Several Little Sisters squeeled with delight as their Big Daddies began trampling Splicers underfoot. As they came up to Big Brother, they split up. As they passed, one would occasionally bump into him, cracking the ice as they passed. When they were gone, Big Brother was free, but he wasn't moving.

"Big Brother!" Sara wailed as she ran to his side.

He wanted to speak, to tell her that it would be alright. But his throat was cut, his blood was spilling across the floor. He was so sorry that his blood would stain her dress. Blue was always her color, it went so well with her yellow eyes. It was only because of his hightened vitality that he wasn't already dead or dying. He would stay concious until he had nothing left, all while suffocating on his own blood.

Sara looked around and called for the other Little Sisters who were returning with their Big Daddies. "I need your help! We need ADAM!"

The girls went to work as fast as they could, stabbing their needles into the dead Splicers. Then one of the girls screamed, "You're not an angel!"

The Little Sister's Big Daddy ended the problem with a well-placed rivet into the woman's chest. As her groans died out, the Little Sister stabbed her, draining out her ADAM. Once all of them had consumed the contents of their needles, Sara stabbed herself in her stomach. From her body, she extracted a higher concentration of ADAM. The others did the same, many of them screaming from the pain.

They knew that their pain would fade and they had to do this to save Big Brother. For even when Sara was finished for the day, he would search for another Little Sister and her Big Daddy. All of the girls knew him well and treated him like he was their Big Brother. And although he belonged with Sara, all of them always felt safer whenever he was around.

Each of them thrust their needles into Big Brother's neck and injected him with the ADAM. This caused his body to react violently as red foam poured from his neck, mouth, nose, and eyes. The girls all screamed as he thrashed about. The Big Daddies quickly grabbed his arms and legs, using their massive weight to hold him until the convulsions stopped.

Sara was the first to look into his eyes, which now glowed with a different light than before. They seemed so much more intense now, but she didn't mind. This was her Big Brother, she would always stay by his side. He closed his eyes, happy with the knowledge that his Little Sister had just saved his life.

As he opened his eyes to see her once more, he found himself sitting on his own. There was nobody around, not a single living soul. The only sounds were those of the streams of water pouring in, taking more of what dry space was left. It was all a dream, a rare thing these days. What was happening to him? The only days he would dream was when one of Sara's lullabies put him to sleep. It was almots embarrasing when she did it, but she loved having an audience to sing to.

He ran his fingers across his neck and remembered the scar. It was a memory he had long forgotten, so why did he remember it now?

Then came the roar of one of the Alpha Series. Big Brother got to his feet, for he knew there was trouble. With a mighty bellow, he charged down the hall. Along the way, a Bouncer joined up with him. Then came a Rosie, covered in seaweed, followed by two Elite Bouncers. Then a Rumbler joined the group, a turret primed and ready in his hand. Before long, five Alpha Series jumped down at different points and followed.

This group of various Big Daddies followed him as he charged down the halls, each of them practicaly bouncing off the walls on every turn. But even when they faultered, they did not stop, they did not fall. They pushed on, keeping the pace with Big Brother.

There was another roar of pain before the group was joined by five more Big Daddies and seven Big Sisters. The armored women all began to scream, but the sound was drowned out by the thunder of so many metal boots.

The Alpha Series was pinned down by the time they charged into the room, and so all of them unleashed a terrifying cry that rattled all of Rapture, right down to its foundations.

Big Brother leaped onto the injured Alpha Series, crushing two surprised Splicers while holding him down as the others split up. Each of them followed the remaining Splicers, hunting them down with the same fervor they had when protecting a Little Sister. Even they didn't know why they fought so hard for a Big Daddy, but it didn't matter now. They had a purpose and they would die if they had to.

Once they were gone, Big Brother snapped the chains holding the Alpha Series down and helped him up. He was injured, but he would recover. While death would have been a sweet release for this one, he was needed to continue the fight. Even if Rapture was dying around them, they would fight until they found their death. But this one seemed to understand that it wouldn't find it this day and wailed in anguish. Big Brother, knowing his pain, didn't stop the Alpha Series as he wandered off.

Then, without warning, strong hands grabbed his arm and hung off him.

Big Brother turned, but didn't see anyone. There was nobody there. Then it was on his back, sending him into a frenzy to get it off. But whatever it was held with a grip like iron and wouldn't be shaken off so easily. Then came a shrill scream that stopped him. In his moment of confusion, a bright yellow light flashed before his eyes. Once the light dimmed, he realized that it was a Big Sister hanging off his back.

Her head was upside down, for she was sitting on his shoulders. She had to do it like this, as he was hunched over and couldn't look up too well. The armored plates that rested on his back were a perfect spot for her to sit on.

He thrashed about, trying to reach her, but she simply jumped away and vanished in a violet cloud. She was gone now, having teleported to safety. He didn't now if she would return, but for now, he really didn't care.

Big Brother started moving, not knowing where his legs were taking him. He didn't hear anything besides the occasional explosion caused by a Rumber. On their own, Big Daddies could take on dozens of Splicers. But with the numbers that just ran through, they could decimate an entire army.

When he hears a sound, he scans the area, but finds nothing. He hears it again and stamps his foot, causing everything to shake. He looks around once more, finds nothing, and then steps into a violet haze.

The Big Sister tilts her head, wondering why he wasn't moving anymore. He was growling, but it was more of a low rumble than anything else. He didn't want to deal with her, he just wanted to be alone. He walks past her, careful not to bump her. But she grabs onto his shoulder and jumps up onto his back. She then shifts around until she could sit down and held on tight as he began to walk again.

If she had been a Splicer, or hostile towards him, he would have thrown her off and crushed her under his foot. But for some reason, he didn't really mind having her up there. Even as her giant needle extened past his head, at least he knew where she was.

Big Brother felt a sudden shift in her weight and stopped to catch her, only to realize that she was just rocking side-to-side. She wasn't moving right now, as she was confused once again as to why he wasn't moving either.

When he tried to look up, she looked down, peering into the yellow light emitting from his porthole. He was sneering, but she couldn't see that. With a huff, he starts moving for the third time, but stops. The Big Sister slapped his shoulder, trying to get him going, but to no avail.

They were being watched, he could feel it. So many eyes watched him and the Big Sister on his back. There was a shrill scream from his passanger and the feeling faded. It was subtle, but Big Brother caught a few glimpes of other Big Sisters wandering off.

Then a strange sensation struck him, a mild irritation at most, but it seemed to drive the Big Sisters into a frenzy. They didn't become hostile, but they seemed to be searching for something now. It was strange, yet, somehow familiar to him. But the Big Sister on his back seemed to be taking it in the worst way. She was shaking, badly, and was threatening to fall off.

Big Brother took out his tape recorder and put in a new one. He hoped that it would help to calm her.

_"Something strange happened the other day. We were watching a group of boys playing when one of them fell down and scraped his knee. The others started to tease him until a woman in a blue dress came out and shooed them away. Sara asked me who she was and I told her that she was his mom. Now, I don't know why, but she didn't seem to like the word. She took it like something unnatural for her. But after awhile, she asked me if I had a mom. When I told her that everyone had a mom, she wished that she had one too. It's been bothering me for some time now, but she is my Little Sister and she will always be family to me. I wonder if it would be possible to make a Big Mama...yikes...just the thought of it scares me"_

The Big Sister was starting to calm down now, but whatever it was that caused her distress pressed on his mind. As he walked, he could feel her curl up and let his movements rock her to sleep. One of her arms were wrapped around his neck to keep her from slipping off. He knew she was out when he caught a look at his reflection.

The light in her porthole was dim, but as long as it didn't go out, she still lived. He found too many unseen faces that have gone dark, having seen their final light. But seeing her like this, so peaceful. It was so rare to see this, but the thought didn't last long against his cold heart. Being forced to survive for so long, all without ever once seeing his precious Little Sister since she dissapeared, even he didn't know what he has become.

He walked for hours, growling at Splicers who were foolish to get in his way. Even while desperate for ADAM, one shift from the sleeping Big Sister on his back was more than enough to send them on their way. To mess with Big Brother could easily spell their end. But to mess with Big Brother _and_ Big Sister, even a Big Daddy wouldn't survive.

Suddenly, as he was passing though one of the few remaining passages to another section, the Big Sister fell off. It was like she suffered from a bad dream and didn't know how to wake. Then he noticed that feeling again, like something was calling out to him. The Big Sister was whispering!

From what he could gather, something was calling to her, but it was driving her mad. Big Brother didn't know what to do besides stand there and watch.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean too!" a voice screamed as a Houndini Splicer appeared and ripped past him. She didn't seem to notice him, clutching her ears like she was in pain. "The knife moved on it's own, it's not my fault!"

Big Brother didn't know what to think until a Big Daddy wandered it. He was a Rosie, but he didn't seem to be at all that concerned as to what was happening. It was as if the Big Daddies and Big Brother simply didn't hear whatever it was that bothered the others. As more and more Splicers came out, ranting and raving about things they did in their past, whatever it was seemed to bring up bad memories.

Then came the most horrible noise that rattled even his own ears. Quickly looking out into the ocean, he was horrified to see a whale coming straight at them. It had a crazed look to it, like it was in immense pain. Big Brother grabs for the fallen Big Sister, but it was too late. The gargantuan animal crashed into the passage, smashing through with little difficulty.

Tons of water rushed in, engulfing everybody inside. While Big Brother was being thrown about, the Big Sister clutched tightly in his arms, a heavy piece of glass smashes against the back of his head.

As he started to black out, he could hear someone crying, _"I'm sorry, Big Brother! I'm sorry! I had to!"_

* * *

_"My...name...is...Patrick D...Drake...My throat...is d-da...damaged...I am...l-losing...my v-voice...This w...will be...my...fina...final...recor...ding...Rapture...is...lost...Sara...is...lost...I...don't...know...w-what...h-happened...to h-her...I...I...am...so s-s-sor...ry...Sara...forgive...m-m-me..."_

When the recording ended, the boy looked out onto the water. He wasn't sure why, but he felt that there was something out there.

"Dinner's ready!"

The boy stared out into the sunset, thinking he heard something, but it had to be the summer breeze. But it was strange, because it sounded like a howl. He scoops up the tape recorder and takes it home to show his parents.

On the water, a blue dress, still wrapped in protective plastic, washes out to sea.


	6. Lady of the Sea

**I've been working harder on Big Brother now, ever since getting all your responces to my work. I can't thank all of you enough for all your support. It's been keeping me focued on my work, which can be difficult to do sometimes. I like to write, a lot, and sometimes burn myself out on occasion. Plus, I like switching which stories I'm working on, just to keep the ideas for them fresh and full of everything you enjoy.**

**On a side note, I was surprised when I recieved notice of how deep Big Brother's character was. I was happy to know that I was doing so well. But even I don't always know what will happen next. I take the raw ideas, fresh out of my mind, and mold them into words. It's only when I make a second pass that my stories begin to evolve even farther than I thought they would be.**

**But even then, I do have some ideas which I believe all of you might enjoy. If not, I'm still writing them and need more time. Even if my Big Brother chapters are short, they allow me to switch things up on a regular basis when I need it. It really helps me create what I want to happen next, especially when I don't have enough speaking parts to fill things up.**

* * *

While out on the water, a pair of fishermen were laughing it up until one of them thought he heard something in the distance. It was strange, nothing he had ever heard before in his entire life. It sounded distant, yet so close to them that he felt concerned.

"Hey, you guys ever hear of the Lady of the Sea?" he asked the other two men in the boat.

"Ya, but that's an old wive's tale. Hell, it's older than my great grandma."

"I know, but something's out there." The man looked around, but didn't see anything. The sky was getting cloudy, casting an eerie gloom over the water.

"So what, you thinks it's her, looking for her lost lover?"

"I don't rightly know. But there shouldn't be anyone around here. I mean, the only place around is Jagged Rock. But everybody know's how dangerous it is. I mean, my grandfather nearly joined the stories men who lost their lives to it."

"I know, I almost got thrown against it one time and lost all of my equipment when a wave tipped me over."

"How's you survive?"

"Don't know, I woke up on the shore."

"You don't think it's..."

"Nah, how could it? OW! What the hell?"

"What happened?"

"A fish just fell on me! Look, it's in the boat!" Sure enough, the fish was flopping about.

"Are you sure it didn't just jump?"

"It didn't jump, I can tell you that much. Hit me square on the top of my head, it did."

Out of the sky came another fish, barely missing the boat. Then two more came down, one of them falling into the lap of one of the men. Taking this as a bad omen, they grabbed the oars and started to row. They wanted to get out of there as quickly as they could, they didn't know just what was happening.

"What the hell happened back there?"

"You're asking me?"

"Stop yelling you two and grab the boat! Nobody is going to believe this when we get back!"

While two of the men were getting ready to leave, the third looked out and thought he saw something in the water. He didn't know if he was seeing right, but he thought he saw glowing red eyes, watching him as the rain began to fall. Whatever it was out there, it dissappeared without a trace.

"Great, first fish, now rain!"

"What are you standing around there for? Get a move on!"

"R-right!" With that, the men were gone.

* * *

In the forest, a lone girl was out picking berries and mushrooms. She knew this area well, for her family have lived here for many generations. They knew all the spots where the good berries grow and which mushrooms were not poisonous to eat.

She pops one of the berries into her mouth and puckers up when she realizes that it wasn't ripe yet. The girl moves to the next bush, hoping to find some that were ready to be picked. Along the way, she spots a few mushrooms growing on an old tree. Checking to make sure as to which kind they were, she leaves them when they prove to be the poisonous kind. But further on, on an old stump, she finds several large mushrooms and took those. She could recognize the plants here on sight alone, a skill she picked up from her mother and grandmother.

While she was busy looking, she fails to realize that she isn't alone. A hungry bear was looking for those same berries, and it wasn't about to share its new food source. After catching her scent, it rears up on it's hind legs and roared. Caught by surprisem, the girl drops her basket, and against all logic, she ran. Thinking it found prey, the bear took off after her.

She darted through the bushes and small trees, hoping her smaller size would help. But the bear was undetered. It charged through the bushes, unfazed and easily found its way through the trees. It was hungry and wouldn't let an easy meal get out of it's sight.

It didn't matter how fast she ran or what path she took, the bear easily caught up to her and knocked her down with a swipe of its paw. The girl's arm was snapped in two with the power of the blow and she screamed.

Then came another, one that silenced the whole forest. Even the bear stopped moving from the sudden feeling that flowed over it. Out of thin air, something appeared before it in a strange haze and kicked the bear before dissapearing again. Rocks began to pelt it from all sides and another scream rattled it to its core. Unable to defend itself, the bear turned tail and ran.

Barely hanging on to conciousness, the girl felt her arm snap together. She screamed from the pain, but the person rocked her. This person was strong, yet so gentle. She tried to open her eyes, to see the face of her saviour, but all she could see was a strange mist covering them both. Everything went black after that.

When the girl awoke, she found herself at the edge of the small town she lived in. The bones in her arm were held in place by branches wrapped in soft tree bark. She whispered her thanks and walked to the doctor's house.

A pair of glowing eyes watched her go before leaving into the forest, the basket of berries and mushrooms in hand.

* * *

In the small tavern, three men were cradling their drinks, which they have barely touched.

"Hey," one of them began, making another jump, "do you think the legend was actually true?"

"What do you know about it?"

"Only that it all started when a woman waited for years for her lover to return. Legend says, she waited her entire life, dedicated to looking over the water for him. But it was all in vane when his ship was thrown into Jagged Rock. I'm guessing she's returned, hoping to find her man."

"You must be joking, there's no such thing as the Lady of the Sea."

The third man spoke up, "Wasn't your daughter saved from a bear attack just yesterday?"

"Ya, but she never got a look at the person. She doesn't even know if it was a woman or not."

The other man ran his hand through his hair, "That's true. But I heard from one of the fishermen that he'd seen glowing eyes."

"And you believed him?" the man answered a little to loudly.

"Keep your voice down! Of course I didn't believe him. But these strange events happning around here, they just aren't natural."

The third man put his cup down, "So, what, a kind soul helping a girl in trouble is unnatural now?"

"That's not what I said."

"You sure make it sound that way."

"I'm talking about these stories of raining fish. Or a mysterious person helping a child in the forest without ever being seen. Then there are those sightings of glowing dots in the middle of the night. Hell, my wife says she saw them too, right outside our window."

"I'd tell you that your wife is likely daft, but she'd probably let me have it something good if she ever found out."

The second man only agreed, "She'd probably ask the Lady of the Sea to help her do it too."

"I still don't see what you ever seen in that woman." The first man stated.

It was the third who replied with, "How about a chest as grand as Jagged Rock and hips like an ocean wave?"

"Hey, you're talking about my wife!"

"I'm just saying that she's still attractive, even after all this time."

"I'll drink to that." The first man raised his glass.

"Here, here!"

"Well, it's about time!" cried the bartender. "You boys have been sitting there for nearly four hours on your first drink! Someone would start thinking that you've been talking about the Lady of the Sea."

"No, just worried that my wife will get jealous is all!"

The bartender relaxed, "If you were worried about that, then why'd you marry her in the first place? That woman would have to be soft in the head to be jealous of an old myth."

* * *

Back inside her cave, she quickly devoured the fish she caught. These had been her best source of sustenance down in Rapture. She was unsure about the rest, though. She had never seen blue berries or mushrooms before. Many of the trees and plants were now flooded as water found its way inside many sections. The only elidble ones left were the seaweed outside, which wasn't all that great to begin with. But without a source of ADAM from the Splicers, she had to make due with what she could.

She didn't know what to do now, she never left Rapture before. Even in the times she went outside, she never left its proximity. She knew nothing of this strange world on the surface, but there was no going back.

Packed in a corner of the cave, most of her equipment was sitting quietly. Her helmet, oxygen tank, and needle were all broken and useless. Even if there was a way to fix them, she didn't have the knowledge to do so. And even then, she didn't know where she was. She woke up here in this cave one day, alone, hungry, and felt fear for the first time in years.

In the past, she always had her sisters. They had always been there, watching over Rapture, making sure the Little Sisters were safe. Many Little Sisters were taken away when a strange person appeared, looking so much like Big Daddy. She remembered a strange-looking Big Sister helping him take them away. She had done something to them, changing them, until they weren't Little Sisters any longer.

She felt betrayed that day, but that quickly became feelings of failure and rage.

So she took it out on all the Splicers she could find. It was only when their numbers began to dwindle that her anger cooled. Then she found _him_, a being as big and powerful as Big Daddy. She had sensed this when she listened to one of his tape recordings. He had their power, and followed the same path, but he had a choice. He had chosen to stay with a Little Sister, to be a protector. In those first moments that he didn't care to chase her off, it was the first time in many years that she felt safe.

She lights a fire with Incinerate and watches as it burns. Even in its warmth, it was cold compaired to how she had felt. Even in the end, he was a protector. No! She wouldn't think like that! There was no way he could be gone! All she had was a shattered vial and a ruined recording tape. He had to be out there, he had too...

Now those same feelings of security haunted her.

Memories rushed into her mind, reminding her of her troubled past. She didn't want to remember! She wanted to forget! She wanted to die, to be an angel like all the others! Maybe then, she could see Big Daddy again...

But the memories came anyways.

After a strange man had come and stolen a number of her sisters, those who remained didn't know what to do. All they could do was wonder why he took them away. They were safe with Big Daddy, he was always their protector! Big Daddy never left them, never wanted anything from them but to love them, to take care of them! Big Daddy always protected them, no matter what! Even when he fell down, he would always get back up and protect them from the monsters!

But as the years went by, she started growing up, and Mr. Bubbles stopped loving her like he used too. When she couldn't fit in the air ducts anymore, she was forced to stay by his side. But he seemed confused at times, unsure if she was his daughter anymore. No matter how many times she tried to remind him, he would wander off while she slept, hidden in some hole or another.

Then came the day that the monsters attacked. An explosion collapsed part of the roof on top of her, leaving her pinned down. She remembered the fire and lightning that stole Mr. B away from her. As the light in his eyes went out, she began to realize that he wasn't going to get back up again and save her this time. She only survived that day because the rubble that held her also hid her until one of her sisters came to her rescue.

Then she came to see the giant men, who looked so much like Mr. Bubbles, so much so that they even had the same names. But they had daughters too, who they still loved. But over time, these men abanonded their daughters, forgeting who they were, or were taken by the monsters. They had to fight to survive, fight the monsters with everything they had.

In the beginning, they lost several of their sisters, the impact of their loss cutting deep in the rest of them. Some of the girls even started walking with the large men, calling them Mr. Bubbles like they all did when they were still around.

Then came the day that, in a fit of fear, she set one of the monsters on fire. It happened so suddenly that she pushed him away without touching him. That was on that day that her powers came to be. It had to be the ADAM she collected from the angels. It was making her stronger, giving her the power to protect her sisters. And as she grew up, her powers got even stronger.

But even then, she and the others were weak and easy to be taken by surprise by the monsters. So, she salvaged what she could, making herself a suit that mimicked what Mr. Bubbles always wore. Over time, she added a larger needle, so she could fight the monster and still collect ADAM from the angels. The others followed her example, collecting all they could.

Then a woman came to them, calling herself Elenor Lamb. She called to them, and they realized that she too was one of them, only different in some way. She gave them the name, Big Sister, for they were to protect their new sisters, who were being brought here. All of them had fathers, who loved them as much as their fathers loved them in the past.

Over time, Elenor lost her voice, but they barely noticed. They watched over their new sisters, hoping to protect them and return them to Mr. Bubbles whenever they got into trouble.

Then, after the Little Sister were taken away, much of Rapture flooded as one of the towers suddenly tore itself from the city. Several Big Sisters were nearly killed that day, if it hadn't been for their armor and powers of Telekinesis. She had been among them...

The memories begin to fade, letting her breathe again. What was that? Why did it have to unleash everything like that? And why did is sound so familiar, like a voice of one she once knew? It spoke to her, just like how Elenor once did, before she lost her voice.

The growling in her stomach snaps her out of her thoughts. Whatever it was, she was starving now, even after the fish she already ate. She takes one of the berries and eats it, only to be surprised by the sweetness. It was enough for her to forget her pain, letting it pass in the form of her tears. Though she cried, falling to her weakness, she didn't mind. Somehow, she felt that she needed this.

Once her tears had dried up, and the food was gone, she got up and left the cave to look out into the sea. She couldn't help but gaze upon the thrashing surface that crashed against the rocks below. Taking one step forward, she launched herself into the waves and dissapeared.

* * *

"So, what do you think?" the man asked as he pushed his turtle-shell glasses back up his crooked nose.

The short, balding man shrugged his shoulders, "Not sure. These rumors of someone in the water and flying fish is strange, to say the least."

"Then you think there's a chance that someone's surfaced?"

"We can't rule out that possibility. Ever since our contact vanished, there wasn't much we could do. It was fortunate, though, when we found that tower floating like it did. The specimenes we found would have been perfect if they weren't already deceased. But our research has unlocked some truely fasinating discoveries."

"Have you been able to reproduce them?" the man asked, taking off his glasses to clean the dirty lenses.

"Unfortuantely no, our experiments have serious side-effects if they aren't properly sustained. And the substances we need to do so have been an issue as well. For some reason, many of our subjects have been suffering from delusions. We aren't sure what's causing them."

"Are they still able to fight?"

"Madness has a use as well. In fact, their fighting abilties have only increased."

"Whatever they found down there, it must have been truly powerful, maybe even god-like."

"There are no gods in our field of work, I hope you remember that."

"Don't worry, my good fellow, I only say that because this power can easily control the world. At least if it falls into the right hands."

"I suspect that those hands would be ours then, am I correct?"

The man's smile was almost ear-to-ear, "Of course."

"Then there is something else we should check into. There is a matter of a strange occurance that seems to have the Queen stirring in her sleep."

"Yes, she has been doing that for some time. Any changes in her production?"

"None, she has been holding up quite well after all these years."

"Good. Now, send a team to investigate, make sure they bring back anything of interest."


	7. A Secret Revealed

**I know this has been awhile. I've been busy and have also been dealing with a bit of writer's block. It's hard trying to work these things out sometimes. In the end, all I can do is hope to keep writing and keep you happy. **

**Plus, you're feedback has been amazing. I know my chapters are a bit short, but I still have work and my attention span isn't always long enough. But I keep at it.**

* * *

"So, what is it that you have brought to me today?"

"We aren't sure, we found quite a mess around a dead whale. The thing was bleeding from the eyes and must have been driven insane by the pain."

"That is of no concern to me. What have you discovered?"

"Our men discovered a large man in some sort of diving suit. We aren't sure of his identity, but we are certain that he has been modified in some way."

The scientist lowered his glasses, "Oh? Modified in what way?"

"First of all, he is larger than any man I have ever seen. Much of that seems to have been grafted into that suit he is wearing as well. But when one of our men came closer, he suddenly woke up and started walking back into the water. When one of the men tried to stop him, he growled and hit him. Nearly broke his face."

"I'm sure, now continue."

"We had to let Soldier Three out to take him down. But when he attacked, the man suddenly went berserk and beat Solder Three into the ground. We had to let out Soldier One, Two, and Five out to finish the job. Only Soldier Two made it back. I am hoping that the damage is not sever enough to hamper your research."

"No, if what you are telling me is correct, he has been modified on a genetic level. And from what you say, his form had already been perfected. What you did to the body is of no concern as long as there is something to be examined."

"I will leave you to your work then good doctor." The man turned and ordered two more to wheel the large figure inside. He was wrapped in chains and had a piece of metal welded over his chest to keep him there.

"So, what secrets do you hold for me?" He stared into the porthole and saw the yellow light inside begin to dim. "Oh, dying on me are you? We can't have that. I want to squeeze out every bit of information I can out of you first. Then I will consider letting you die." He took a large needle and jabbed into in a bare bit of skin. He injected a heavy concoction of stimulants into the bloodstream and waited as they went to work. The glow brightened, but not by much. The body was just too big for the, normally-lethal, dosage. But it was just enough that the subject wouldn't be lost so easily. "Good, now we can begin. First, I will need a sample to work with." The scientist removed a bonesaw from the cabinet. "I am sure you won't be bothered by a bit of pain. And judging from what you have already survived, you look like you will survive the proceedure."

* * *

"Hey, there's something over here!" the man called.

"What is it?"

"I don't know, it's like a ship of some kind. It looks like something was inside it too. Damn, what a stink!" The man couldn't help but recoil when the stench of decay hit him.

"Be careful, I thought it heard som-" the other man suddenly stopped mid-sentence and failed to appear.

"Hey, are you ok? Hey, say something!" The man saw a shadow, but failed to see the ones prowling in those behind him until it was too late. "Hey, who are you? No, no, get away from me!"

His screams filled the night air.

"Sorry, but you're face is too good to give up, and you won't be needing it now. Hurry up you lot, one of you get back in and send the damned thing back down!"

"Why don't you do it if you want it to go back so badly?"

"Damn it, just listen for once you wench! We need ADAM, but right now, we need a few more to find it. I just know there's some up here, I can almost smell it."

"Alright already, don't get your face into a knot, oh wait, too late for that."

"Keep it up and I'll cut that tongue out of you and feed it to the fishes. At least they will know how to hold it."

* * *

_"Wake up..."_

She shifted in her sleep, her mind in turmoil. The nightmares were returning, but this time something was trying to get in.

_"Wake up!"_

Her eyes were already open wide, but she was still sleeping, and the memories were coming back again. They were so much stronger than before. Who was doing this to her? Why did she have to remember?

_"Wake up, you have to wake up!"_

Someone...someone was calling for her...but who? She blinked, their dim glow becoming the only light in the cave.

_"They need you!"_

What? Who was she talking about? Her memories were distorted. She couldn't remember the past from the present. She had tried to forget the past, since she had nobody left to remember.

_"They need your help!"_

Who? The memories were trying to return, but with them came fear, pain, suffering. It was a dark tunnel that she didn't want to pass through.

_"They want to help you!"_

A faint memory returned, of strong hands, stretching out for her. NO, she wouldn't let them take her! She wouldn't let them hurt her anymore! She ripped a boulder out of ground with Telekinesis and hurled it into the darkness. She heard it crash into the far wall. But there was no one there. She was all alone.

_"They were always there to accept you!"_

No, nobody accepted her! Nobody cared about her. Nobody cared about what happened to her.

_"They want to protect you from the monsters!"_

No, the monsters were always coming after her. Without her Daddy...she was all alone.

_"They still want to be your friend!"_

She had no friends...didn't...she...?

_"They want to be a family!"_

She didn't have family...other than...her sisters...and Mr. Bubbles...and...

_"They want to be your family!"_

No...they were...

_"Just relax, and remember..."_

All the mental programming she had gone through was starting to unravel. The memories that were suppressed had never been forgotten, only hidden underneath many layers. But she remembered now. She remembered how she was sepereated from the one she loved most, even before becoming what she was now.

_"They are in danger..."_

The rocks around her shiver and shake. A crack appears in the wall, pulled open by the unseen forces putting stress on it.

_"Your family is in danger, you have to help them fight the monsters!"_

For a moment, even the air was held in place before she vanished.

She sped through the forest, teleporting as she went. Anything that got in her way was pushed aside by her Telekinesis. It was fortunate that she was doing so when a blast of ice was fired at her.

"Damn, I missed!"

"How'd you do that? You could have frozen her eyeballs with that one!"

"I don't know!"

"Hit her again!"

That scent, she knew the scent of ADAM, but it was strange, different in a way. Another shot of Winter Blast was launched at her, freezing part of a nearby tree. As the wood froze, it couldn't support it's own weight and shattered. The pieces pelted her with great force, causing her to turn and close her eyes. Without her helmet, she had to protect her face.

"Hit her, now, before she can escape!"

"Stop yelling already, I'm doing it!" the Splicer let off another blast, but she was already gone in a burst of violet haze.

"Behind us!"

The Big Sister stopped when she realized that she had been found out and jumped out of the Winter Blast's path. The second shot she countred with a blast of her Incinerate. Steam erupted between them as the two opposing attacks collided.

"I got you!" she was unprepaired for the third and felt her arm become encased in ice. It was only a partial hit, but she wouldn't have full control of her powers in this condition. She mustered a single fireball with her free hand and hurled it at the Splicers, but they were already on the move. Somehow, these two were much more coordinated than those in Rapture.

It was at that moment that she realized that these weren't Rapture's Splicers. Their bodies were not as degraded and their minds weren't wracked with insanity. They were also wearing military clothes, something that could never be found in Rapture.

"Alright, you got a shot now."

She focued her attention on the one who spoke. He was the brains of the two, the other was the muscle. Another shot of Winter Blast whizzed by her head, freezing a few strands of her hair as she ducked for cover. She smacked her arm against a tree, hoping to free herself. To her shock, the ice was still too strong to break without doing the same to her arm.

The tree she was hiding behind cracked and fell as the ice brought it down. She hurled a fireball and made her move towards the other Splicer. He was just standing on his own without the protection of his partner. It was only when she saw the leaves swirlling in the wind around him that she stopped and teleported as the Cyclone Trap went off.

When she reappeared, she was safely out of reach, high in a tree. While the two strange Splicers looked for her, she pulled her power into her arm, slowly melting the ice. But it wasn't going to be enough. She need her arm now to fight these new Splicers. Their tactics were unlike those of any Splicer that have fallen to her needle. It didn't help that she didn't have her helmet, or a weapon for that matter.

A pale figure, hanging upside down on a branch above her, whispered into her ear, "Twinkle, twinkle, little star, my flames will reach you, you can't run far."

She was dropped from her perch when the tree suddenly burst into flames.

"There she is, hit her, now!"

The two Splicers nodded and launch their attacks, the fire and ice combining as they struck and exploded as steam. The Big Sister was burned by the intense heat, but it released her arm. She flexes the numbness out of her fingers and watches as a fireball came to life in her hand once again.

She tossed it at the Splicer above her while another blast of ice was hurled her way. Using her Telekinesis, she catches it in mid-air. With a thought, she turned it to dust and used her powers to pick up one of the fallen trees. It was heavy, but she had the strength to lift it and hurl it towards them. The first two got out of the way but the ice-user was caught and was nothing more than a long smear of red on the ground.

The fire-user was able to dodge the attack, but he was soon caught by her Telekinesis. If she had her voice and a solid mind, she could have said something witty like he did. Instead, she did a mental flick of her thumb and the Splicer went still.

The third was nowhere to be seen, having already run for his life. She picked up a broken branch and used Incinerate on the tip until it was black and hard. Her Telekinesis sent it flying with such speed that it pierced the tree that the Splicer was hiding behind. Even though he was nearly half a kilometer away, she found her mark.

Unfortunately, there were more out there. Their scents mingled with that of blood, creating a combination that was most intoxicating. It brought up old memories, but she wasn't afraid anymore. All that fear was from all the fighting she had to do in order to survive, combined with the mental conditioning she was forced into. The process had not yet been perfected, so it left it's mark on her. The strange presence who spoke to her did what it could to pierce those barriers. With their power draining, she could remember just what had happened so long ago that had put so many things in motion.

As she moved through the forest, fighting off the strange Splicers she encountered, the memories flooded back into her mind once again. She didn't fight it, she took it in, for there was nothing that would hold her back any longer.

x

_"Hello there, how are you?" he asked the girl beside her. The man was enormous compaired to her, but it could have been because she was so small. "Do you have a name?"_

_"I...I'm..." the bigger girl hid her face in her hands._

_"I guess you're a little shy. That's alright. My name's Patrick, Patrick Drake. I'm happy to meet you." He exteneded his hand, which was almost big enough to fit her whole head in._

_The bigger girl pulled away and looked like she was afraid of him._

_The giant man turned to one of the people in white coats and said, "I don't think this is working. She doesn't seem to be interested in talking."_

_"Let's try with the other one. They're twins, but that one is a bit older. The younger one should be a little easier to work with."_

_One of the people walked up to her and led her towards the giant man._

_"Hello, it's nice to meet you."_

_"Hi!" she squeeked. "I'm your Little Sister!"_

_"That's good. If you're my sister, then I guess that makes me your bigger brother."_

_"Bigger brother? Big Brother!" she squeeled and hopped about. "Big Brother, Big Brother!"_

_The bigger girl suddenly threw her arms around her and squeezed her tightly, "My sister, my sister!"_

_"Alright, alright. You're a good big sister if you're so protective of her."_

_"Big Sister, Big Sister!" she squeeled and gave the other girl the biggest hug her little arms could muster._

_The giant man turned to one of the coat people, "How old did you say they were when you found them?"_

_"That is of no concern for you. Are you able to proceed?"_

_"I guess so. I have to say, this is a little strange. It seems like at least one of them likes me."_

_"Keep at it, maybe the other will accept you too."_

_The giant man turned back to them, "My name is Patrick, what's your name?"_

_"This is Sara!" she exclaimed. "My name is Susan! Sara, this is Big Brother! He looks funny!"_

_"Hey, I don't look funny, I'm just big. Maybe you're the funny-looking ones."_

_Sara started to giggle and threw up her arms, "Big Brother!"_

_One of the coat people came up to them and put a hand on the giant man's shoulder, "Alright, we should keep just one with you. That way, you can focus on protecting that one. The other can be put into the Protector program."_

_"I'll go!" Susan called. She waved to Big Brother and Big Sister as she was led away._

_Along the way, she heard Big Brother say, "Do they really have to be split up like this? I mean, they're sisters."_

_"I told you that this is something you shouldn't concern yourself about. Keep this up, and we may have to keep you in the tank."_

_"No, I'm alright. I'll do my job and be quiet."_

_It was sometime later, she went to the Little Sister school, when she met her Daddy. When he looked down at her, he held out his hand. He was big, just like Big Brother._

_"Hello." She put her hand in his and started her search for the angels. He would always protect her, no matter what._

_No matter what..._

* * *

"From what information I have gathered from the materials, you are proving to be quite valuable to our cause. The subjects we had to work with before were already dead when they found them. Their bodies were already deteriorated. But what samples we were able to collect have unlocked many of the secrets of what lies below."

The man adjusted his glasses and continued, "But you, you're body is still alive, still fresh. Your genetic materials have allowed us to truly awaken the cells in our soldiers. Before, most were too pathetic to keep around. We had to recycle them and use their modified materials in the next batch. But the process always had a bump or two along the way, so only a few ever showed any real ability. With your materials though, we have increased our numbers by nearly ten times. And we aren't even finished with you just yet."

He went for the blood-stained bonesaw, "Alright, this will hurt, but you already knew that. I'm glad that you don't scream, I don't want to have to put you under. I don't want any chemical influence contaminating the materials."

* * *

"Hey, old man, what's wrong?"

The aging figure stared out the window with a strange look in his wrinkled face. Because of his advanced age, it was impossible to tell what he was thinking. The younger man didn't know what to do, but he didn't have to worry about the elder's health. The old man still had a strong body, much stronger than any of the men in the small town. Even though he was covered in various scars from cuts, burns, even bullets, he still held strong.

A woman walked into the room, heavy with child, "Alright you two, dinner's ready."

The younger man turned to his loving wife, "You really shouldn't be up working like this. You should be resting."

"I like working hard, and who knows, our baby might take after me."

The man smiled, "If he does that, I'm out of a job."

But the woman began to pout, "Who ever said it was a boy? I still think it's a girl."

"Alright, alright, I'm not going to argue. I love you." He kissed her on the cheek as he passed.

"And that's why I love you." She turned to the old man, her smile fading. "I know, we've felt it too. I wonder if the others knows about it too. You know how they were like. They miss him so much. He was the only thing that was true."

The old man looked away from the window and smiled, bringing the familiar warmth back to the room. The woman couldn't help but smile too as she followed him to the kitchen.


	8. Return of Hope and War

**Thank you fo your reviews. I had a feeling that I was going off track, but I didn't know how bad it was getting. I will be trying to resolve what I can now. I'm still learning, and it's only through the feedback that I can really learn what I need.**

**Here's something you probably don't know yet, when I first started, I wasn't sure what I was going to do with this story. I've mostly been writing from the seat of my pants, as it were. I was actually greatly surprised, and I still am, about all the reviews I've been getting. All of my others works combined haven't matched to how many views I've gotten on this one.**

**I hope you keep reading, and spread the word, more hits is always nice.**

* * *

As the scientist stood over the large figure before him, he felt a tinge of regret. He had taken all four of his limbs and removed some of the organs. A few were difficult to extract, as they were grafted to his suit. He had left one of the eyes inside the man's skull as a way to determine his health. But now there was no light shining from the porthole.

"It appears that our subject has expired. A pity, really. I was hoping to harvest his blood next. But no matter, our ranks have grown a hundred fold since you came here. And what remains will allow us to expand a hundred more."

"Doctor, we have reports of a strange figure tearing through our soldiers. Out of nearly three hundred, only four have returned. They speak of powers similar to their own, but on a much higher level."

"Oh?" the scientist was interested now. There was a fresh specimen for him to harvest for materials. And if this one possessed actual powers, not just the dormant traces in his last subject, the possibilities were endless.

"Do you wish for the capture of this intruder?"

"You know me so well. Yes, capture them and bring them to me. I will extract everything I can. I want blood, bone, marrow, sinew, muscle, every part that possesses traces of this fantastic substance. The higher the purity the better! Leave me to my work now, I have to collect all that remains."

The soldier left the man to his work, if only to ensure that he wouldn't end up on an operating table as well. Though nobody in the army had any respect for the man, they all feared the brilliance his insanity brought about. If it wasn't for him, they would have never been able to become what they were now.

But if only he had a better subject. This mere Big Daddy was not going to give them true power.

* * *

Though sleep still clung to the corners of her mind, she looked out across the water through her window. It was bright and warm today, but there was something that bothered her. For nearly two years now, she heard a strange sound coming from the ocean. It sounded lonely, as if calling for someone. But every time it happened, it put her on edge, like a bad dream reaching for her. Her sisters didn't seem to hear it, but that was probably because they were younger when they were purified of the slugs inside them.

She had been a couple years older when she had been rescued. The ADAM in her body had become more permanent. The sound seemed to resonate with some memory, but it was too faint to know what it was. A pair of wrinkled hands covered her eyes, surprising her from her thoughts.

"Alright, Jack, I know it's you. I just wish you wouldn't do that. Just because you don't make a sound when you walk doesn't mean you can just sneak up on me."

The old man didn't say a word, he simply let go and sat down beside her. It has been nearly twenty three years since he came to Rapture and saved her and her sisters. If it wasn't for him, they would have still been down there, either harvesting ADAM or lying dead somewhere.

She heard giggling and knew just who it was, "Alright you, come out."

A young girl, only four years of age, appeared in the doorway, "Grandpa wanted to surprise you."

"He certainly did just that. And here I thought you were on my side."

"Grandpa gave me some candy."

Great, the woman thought, going for her weak point. She turned to the old man and gave him a hard poke, "And what are you doing with candy? It's hard enough trying to get enough getting enough fresh fruit!"

The old man just shrugged and smiled. It was enough to calm her. Seeing him always helped ease the pain of her loss. Even after all these years, she still missed him. She had a loving husband and beautiful daughter. But the pain never left her.

The strange sound filled her ears, but it seemed to effect Jack even more. It was obvious in his wrinkled face that it was bothering him too. But he was always the stoic figure, able to survive anything that happened. She didn't know where he got his strength, but she was grateful for it.

"Mommy, why is the sad man crying?"

"You can hear it too, baby?"

The girl nodded her head and ran into her mother's arms, "He's crying because he's lonely. He hurt someone who helped him by accident and wants to find him."

"Who baby?"

"I don't know, mommy. I don't know how to help him."

How strange, even the old man was curious about this new development. He picked up the child and walked out.

"Where are you going?"

Jack looked back and signaled for her to follow. She didn't question what he was doing as they went outside and looked out towards the water. He pulled out a syringe full of a familiar blue substance.

"You still have EVE? What do you plan on doing with that?"

He didn't speak a word, he simply handed it over to her.

"You want _me_ to use it?"

Jack nodded his head.

She had to think about this, why would he give her something that was once used to fuel his Plasmids? Then it hit her, he wanted her to reawaken her ADAM! There wasn't much, but it must require something to bring what was left back to life. She injected the syringe into her wrist and felt it go to work.

It was like pure energy was pumping into her arm, flowing into the rest of her body as it was absorbed by her ADAM. Then she heard it, a strange, eerie voice.

_"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you! I'm just so sorry!"_ She could almost feel the mental recoil._ "Huh, is someone there? Who'se there? Why can't I see you?"_

Sensing that her voice was useless here, she spoke through her mind, _"I'm sorry to have disturbed you, but I have heard your call for some time now."_

_"My call? Oh, you mean my message. I have been calling for the one who saved me. But he cannot hear me now. I just want to speak to him again, to tell him how grateful I am. But I seem to have hurt him, I drove him away. Now he is missing, and there is nothing I can do."_

_"Who do you speak of?" She felt a sudden spark of memory flash in her mind, one that was not of her own._

_"His name is Patrick Drake, and it is he who saved me after what happened to my previous two selves. I am a third self, created so I could have some semblance of sanity again."_

_"Who are you?"_

_"My memories, it's all a fog, but I was once known as Gilbert Alexander."_

In that moment, she nearly had a heartattack. She desperately pulled herself together, _"Gilbert, do you remember me?"_

_"What? How can I remember you when I don't know you?"_

_"I was one of the Little Sisters, I was one in a pair of twins."_

There was a sense of shock, relief, and then regret, _"I-I remember you now. I was the reason your sister bonded with the Big Daddy. I am so sorry you had to go through all that. I was such a fool to do all those things"_

_"Tell me, do you remember Big Brother?"_

_"Big Brother? No, I do not remember anyone by that name. The only one who remained was Patrick Drake, who I think was called that by the Little Sisters. In my attempts to call for him, I seem to have failed to realize what I was doing to the population. I drove them further over the edge, doing more harm than good. My mental powers came when Patrick saved me from my madness, but now I don't know what happened to him."_

She felt her heart begin to sink, _"What happened?"_

_"In my attempts to contact Patrick through one of the Big Sisters, I seemed to have inadvertantly contacted a nearby whale and drove it berserk. My powers were too strong for the simple mind to handle and it stole Patrick and two others away. I have been searching for them, but I could only find the Big Sister."_

_"Wait, who is this 'Big Sister' you're talking about?"_

She felt the sudden realization, _"You, I know you now. Sara, your little sister is on the surface! She is still alive, Susan is still alive! And Patrick is too!"_

The woman fell to her knees. Susan was alive? After all this time, she was still alive? And Big Brother too? She had to find out more.

_"Gilbert, where are they now?"_

_"I can only sense the edges of Patrick's mind. But I have contacted your sister. She is trying to find him at this very moment."_

_"Where did you send her?"_

A mental picture of an map, possibly from an old memory of one, was revealed to her in her mind. Two points were revealed, one stationary, the other was on the move.

_"Please, find Patrick and Susan, tell them I am sorry for what I have done. It was all my fault. I only wanted to speak to Patrick. I never wanted to take him away from the city."_

_"You have my word."_

_"I'm so sorry..."_ Gilbert's voice faded away as the EVE wore off.

Her breathing was difficult and her heart was pounding faster than she could handle. But she knew that her sister was alive now. She looked up at Jack and to her daughter, both of whome were concerned for her.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here? A former Little Sister and a failed experiment? My, you two were hard to find." The strange military man surprised them all by how easily he snuck up on them.

"Who are you?" Sara asked.

"Me? I was once a close friend of someone you should know about. Do you remember a Frank Fontain?"

The woman pulled her child behind her, "You should know that the former Little Sisters don't remember any of that."

"I suppose so, but right now, that hardly matters. I was in the area when I felt a powerful presence. It's faded now, but I don't suppose it was you, was it? If so, you're going to have to come with me."

"I'm not going to have anything to do with you."

The man didn't look the least bit put off, "That's a shame, it would also be a shame if something were to happen to your child." A small bolt of electricity jumped from his hand, burning a patch of grass by the girl's feet.

"How did you do that?"

"Our Serum has given us tremendous abilities. Especially after we found the man in the diving suit."

"Wait, what did you say?" Sara could feel her body shaking. Whether it was from fear, despair, or rage was unknown.

"Oh, was he a friend of yours? Our good Doctor doesn't tend to get a little carried away. Especially when he's carrying parts of you away. Now, you will come with-" he couldn't finish when a powerful Electro Bolt was blasted past his face. It was close enough that his skin was smoldering and some of his hair had been burned off. The bolt also revealed an invisible soldier, just long enough for the old man to pull out a modified revolver and put a bullet in his head. The sudden shock removed the invisibility of the others. There were nearly twenty in all, dressed in armor and holding various powers swirling around one of their hands.

The man's smile was obviously forced, "So, what Fontain was telling us when he made you was true. You don't look it, but you're quite powerful."

"He's not the only one!" several stones around Sara's feet were launched with enough speed to penetrate the body armor of three more men. Another two were knocked flat, the wind knocked out of them.

"Men, show then what you're made of and capture her!"

On that order, a soldier, who had retained his invisibility, appeared behind the group and took the woman hostage. "Anybody moves, and she gets it!" The tips of his fingers caught fire as he revealed his power.

"Don't hurt my mommy!" the young girl kicked the man in the shin, distracting him long enough for Sara to reach into her pocket.

She took out a green polyp, the last of its kind above the surface, and tossed it over her shoulder, right into the man's face. He coughed and sputtered before releasing her. "Now, fight and protect us!"

"Yes, Ma'am!" the man turned his power against his allies, causing one to ignight.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing!"

"My job, what's it look like?" He was paralyzed when an Electro Bolt hit him. Sara backed away as another approached.

"Freeze him, we have no room for traitors!"

"Yes, Commander!" One of the men slapped his hand against the other's forehead, freezing the water inside. His head started changing shape as his skull cracked and popped apart as the ice swelled. To such a thing to their own men, it was unthinkable. But to make copies of Rapture's Plasmids, that was what revealed their true insanity.

"Fine work. Now, do the same to the old man if you will."

"Yes, Commander!" the soldier readied himself to fire a Winter Blast, but Jack was too fast. A shot from his pistol blew off one of the man's fingers, giving him time to line up a shot to the head. He kept the others off Sara as she carried her daughter back to the house. Once she was safe, he quickly followed.

The others had already heard the ruckus and prepared themselves. The women took the children inside for safety, while the men fired their rifles, giving Jack time to get inside as well. They would fight for as long as they can, but none of them had a chance if one of the soldier get in close.

"Call in the tank."

"But Commander, they are only a group of farmers. Why would we need it?"

"I don't plan on using it if we don't have too, but if they don't cooperate, it will deal with them. We can at least bring the bodies back with us."

"Yes, Commander, right away!" The man got on his radio and called for the tank.

A few minutes later, the massive armored vehicle came rolling into view. The men, even Jack, knew they didn't stand a chance against something like that. He fired an Electro Bolt at it, but it kept coming at them.

"We just want the woman. The others can stay, and so can the men and children. We will even leave the old man here as well."

"We won't be giving you anything!" one of the men took aim and fired. The Commander simply raised his arm and deflected the bullet without a second thought. All the men couldn't believe their eyes as he stood there, unharmed. Not even Jack had that kind of power.

"We are the Templar, there is nothing any of you can do to stop us! Ready the cannon!"

The men all ducked for cover, leaving Jack to stand on his own. He knew there was nothing any of them could do at this point. Even his Electro Bolt couldn't stop that vehicle. He had nothing left in him to try charging it first. He was all out of EVE, and he didn't have any hypos left. The last one went to Sara.

He looked around to get one last look at everyone. He had five daughters, five son-in-laws, and three grandchildren with one on the way. He wanted their faces burned into his mind if it was to end here and now.

"FIRE!"

Yes, Commander!" the turret operator took aim and fired the shell. The explosion sent dust and smoke everywhere. As it cleared, a lone figure was still standing in front of the house, which was untouched from the blast.

"Fire another round!"

"Yes, Commander! Readying another shell!" Once the shell was in the barrel, the turret operator fired it. There was another explosion, but before a third round could be loaded, the man was hit with a harpoon. It had sliced through the tank's barrel, through it's armor, and then through the man inside, until it came to rest outside again. Even as he struggles to pull it out, he was already dead, he just didn't know it yet.

The second hit came from something large and heavy that launched out of the cloud of smoke. When it hit, the impact was so devistating that it nearly destroyed the tank completely. Only the treads remained, the rest having been tore apart. Standing there, amongst the wreckage, was a massive figure.

Inside the house, Sara couldn't believe her eyes and screamed as hard as she could, "BIG BROTHER!"

* * *

"Attack!"

Big Brother was struck by several hits of Electro Bolt, Incinerate, and Winter Blast, but he stood against it all like ti was nothing. He was hardly fazed and returned the favor with the newest addition to his arsenal: a ship's anchor. After switching chain's harpoon with the anchor, he hurled it into the air and slammed it back down. One soldier dissapeared as he was driving into the ground, while the shockwave knocked down everyone nearby.

"Well, what are you waiting for, attack again!"

Big Brother swung his weapon in a wide arch, cutting down any in it's path. Those who managed to hit him merely had their attacks bounce off his body. But when one got a lucky attack and froze his porthole, he stopped moving all together.

Instead of continuing his attack while blind, he stuck his anchor into the ground and clenched his left hand. What he threw had the Commander abandon his troops as the black polyp was thrown.

As it exploded amongst them, the incredible density of the Gravity Well was revealed. The men were pulled in towards its center, where massive forces were put onto their bodies. Bones turned to dust while blood vessels and organs ruptured like rotten fruit. Then it released its energy, scattering broken bodies. There were no survivors to the attack, with only the Commander left standing, all alone.

He dusted himself off and put his hat back on, "I see that we have been decieved by Fontain. He never told us about you. How someone like you could possess such power, it is even beyond what we have been making with that Big Daddy we captured. So, it appeares that we will have to return another day."

Big Brother hurled his anchor, but the man planted his foot down and punched it. To Big Brother's shock, the weapon was deflected.

"You are quite powerful, I will remember that." With those words, he dissapeared.

"Big Brother!"

Hearing his name like that, he turned and was taken by surprise as a woman runs into him, throwing her arms around his.

"I can't believe you're still alive!"

She had to have had him confused with someone else. He didn't recognize her at all.

Her mood quickly fell, "Don't you remember me? It's me, Sara."

He took a step back, trying to process this information. Then he noticed the little girl, pointed to her, and groaned. But the girl backed away and looked like she was about to cry.

"You don't remember, do you? It's been a long time. That girl you see, she's my daughter, her name is Susan." She was crying now.

Big Brother groaned and held out his hand. When he saw her face, a memory of that look flashed through his mind. Though they didn't glow like they once did, he could see the innocent little girl behind those eyes.

He fell to his knee and she broke down, crying onto his shoulder. He didn't dare touch her, for she seemed too delicate for his massive hands to ever hold. Even without the slug inside her body, she would always be his Little Sister.

"Mommy, what's wrong?" The girl looked like she wanted to see her mother, but was too afraid. The woman stopped her crying and went to her child.

"I'm sorry, I'm just so happy."

"I'm scared, mommy."

"You don't have to be. He's Big Brother. He protected me from all the monsters when I was little. He saved us from the bad men too."

The girl wasn't sure how to act, so instead, she looked at him and said, "Thank you." She wrapped her arms around her mother's neck and buried her face.

Big Brother just stood there, watching them both, trying to come to terms with that he has learned. Then he saw the old man and growled. He stomped up to him and roared. He remembered this face. He first seen him from outside Rapture's walls. He knew this was the man who made off with the Little Sisters. The old man just stood there, unfazed by this giant of man raging before him.

Sara put herself in between them both, "Don't hurt him! He's the one who saved me! He's the reason I have a family now!"

Big Brother looked from her, then to him, and looked over to the house. Standing there were the other Little Sisters. They weren't so little anymore. All of them seemed to recognize him, but he couldn't recognize them at all. Had so much time really passed while he remained in Rapture?

He sat down, unable to take it any longer. He had searched for so long, and now that he had found them, he had to wonder. Now what?

Big Brother felt something on his back, and before he knew it, one of the women was on his head. Even though she was a full-grown woman now, she was just as light to him as she was when she was a girl. Another joined her, having missed riding on his back for so many years.

After so long, he felt the ice around his heart begin to melt, and then he felt it break.

* * *

While chewing on a red polyp, Gilbert Alexander heard something in the distance. He watched as the bathysphere returned for the fifth time and left again. He didn't follow it, for he knew it meant trouble.

One of Rapture's buildings had completely collapsed and some of the bodies were floating to the surface now. It was only a matter of time before the whole city would come down. He busied himself with his search of the polyps, not wanting to fall back into the insanity that had gripped him so fiercely before.

It had been twice in his life that he had been saved by a product of Rapture's science. The first came when he was spared by the strange Big Daddy. The second was when Patrick, whom he didn't recognize at the time, restored his mind. His original personality had been lost, but Gilbert didn't care so much anymore.

But he was still concerned for what would happen when the Splicers reach the surface.


	9. Flames of Battle

When Big Brother awoke in the basement, he was startled to find someone sitting in his lap. He was about to wake them when he realized that it was Sara. She was sleeping quite contently, even with her head against his chest plate. He listened to her breathing, so soft and gentle. He heard someone at the stairs and saw her husband watching them. It was dark, but there was just enough moonlight coming in from the window to see him with a blanket in his arms. It was difficult to tell what he was thinking, though.

"I know you're not quite human anymore, but I just wanted to tell you that I'm thankful that you had the strength to protect Sara. No matter what happened to you, you were her protector. You were like a father to her. But I guess Jack sort of has that spot in her life now. I'm sorry it had to happen the way it must have gone, but I wouldn't have a loving wife and a beautiful daughter if she had stayed. If even half the stories were true, it must have been a horrible place for someone so young."

Big Brother shrugged his massive shoulders. He wanted to tell him that there were some good things about Rapture. But even without a voice, he wanted to keep silent anyways. He watched as the man covered Sara with the blanket. Neither made a sound, they just listened to the woman's breathing.

Before he left up the stairs, he whispered just loud enough for the larger man to hear, "I haven't seen her sleep like this since she had Susan. I guess you really are part of the family."

Big Brother looked up and realized just how much she had missed him. To have had to leave her home and come to a strange place. It must have been tough for her. In Rapture, he was all she ever really knew. He would take care of her, protect her, and she would be a good Little Sister for him. But fate wasn't always so kind. Like how the two had to change so much, just to meet the way they did. They lost what made them human and became like a family for each other.

But even though he was finally here, on the surface, with her in his arms, things could never return to the way they once were. Rapture was nothing but a faint memory of it's former self. It was dead, a decaying corpse of a once-graceful city. Once all the Splicers died out, there would be no more 'angels' for any of the Little Sister to find. But by that point, they all would have grown up into Big Sisters.

To add to it, Sara had a family now, she had a daughter of her own. She had to stay with them. This was the best thing that could happen to her. She and the others were the remaining legacy of Rapture. Once their time in this world was done, there would be nothing left of the city.

What hit him most was that he couldn't stay. He never should had been a part of her new world. She would have been better off forgetting about him. Nothing that still held the taint of ADAM should have ever left. But here he was. He couldn't believe how hard it would be for him to have to leave and never be able to her goodbye.

But he couldn't leave her side at this time. She was in danger from the Templar. He knew they wouldn't stop until they obtained what they wanted. They were using something similar to Rapture's Plasmids, but their ADAM was weak and corrupted. He could smell it on all of them. Even then, the loss of their sanity would be invevitable.

But even if their ADAM was tainted, it was stronger than Sara's. Though she possessed Telekineses, she would only be able to move small objects. He could almost feel her power inside her, reading like a book to learn that was the extent of her abilities. He was surprised that any amount of power had manifested. The other appeared to be normal women.

Sara shifted, scattering his thoughts. But while those on the surface were dispersed, something deeper began to stir.

* * *

_"Almost finished, Big Brother!" Sara says as she jabs her needle into the corpse. It was a woman, another pitiful Splicer. It was fortunate that there weren't that many. But why was this happening? Did it have anything to do with ADAM? He would have to ask the scientists about it. He didn't want to risk becoming like them. He wouldn't risk Sara's life like that._

_"Alright, there's no rush." Big Brother scanned the area while she gulped down the red fluid with a smile. He had seen it enough that it didn't bother him so much anymore. Seeing her smile so innocently was all that he cared about. As long as she smiled, he was content in his place in life._

_Once she was finished, she let out a yawn and rubbed her eye, "I'm sleepy."_

_Big Brother smiled, "Alright, let's go."_

_He scooped the girl up into his arms and carried her. There were no Splicers to be found as he made his way down the halls. There were a few people, but they weren't about to get in his way as he slowly lumbered to one of the vents. He didn't have to remember where they were, he just let his legs take him to where he wanted to go. By the time he got there, Sara was struggling to stay awake._

_"Can I stay with you?" she asks._

_"Sorry, but you know the rules. You have to go back."_

_Sara put her head against his chest and yawned again, "Ok."_

_"Maybe next time. I'll ask and see if it's ok. I'll wait right here for you though. That way, you know where you can find me." He held the girl up to the hole and watched as she crawled her way inside._

_He sat down beside the vent and closed his eyes. It had been a long few months. But he was used to it by now. An hour passes and a Big Daddy with another Little Sister walked by. The Big Daddy lifts the girl to the hole and left to continue his rounds. But to Big Brother's surprise, she popped her head back out._

_"Excuse me, but someone's blocking the way."_

_Big Brother got up and lifted himself up to the hole to peer inside. Sure enough, Sara was fast asleep. She had barely made it four feet. The other Little Sister did her best to pull Sara close enough for Big Brother to take her out. There wasn't anything he could do right now besides keep her with him. Fortunately, he didn't have to sleep for another several hours._

_"Thank you for telling me," he said to the other Little Sister, who nodded and dissapeared into the vent._

_He just sat there, content with holding her in his arms. She was like a baby to him, from how big he was. He gently removed his gloves and put it over her. It wasn't much of a blanket, but she didn't seem to mind as she smiled and muttered his name in her sleep._

_Those several hours were going to be a long time, but he would wait. For her, he would wait much longer._

* * *

"Mommy?"

Big Brother hummed the best he could, but it was difficult with a scarred throat. The girl made her way down the stairs and stopped near the end. She was still a bit scared of him, but that was understandable. He had a look that could unsettle most hardened soldiers. He looked down, letting the glow from his eyes shine over Sara. He then extends his hand out to the child, beckoning her to come to him.

She was slow at first, but she warmed to him when he didn't do anything but sit there. He pulled the blanket aside and let her crawl onto her mother's lap. She laid her head on the woman's chest, who muttered in her sleep and wrapped her arms around the girl. Big Brother pulled the blanket back over the two and rocked them.

For the first time since he was paired with Sara, he was allowed to sleep without worry of attack. He quickly fell back to sleep, something that was so difficult in the past. No dreams came, but then again, he never had any real dreams since his change, only memories. But his sleep was calm and quiet.

As the break of dawn came, he was careful not to disturb the two as he got up and walked over to the basement window. After years of being under the surface, he couldn't get enough of seeing the sunrise. It was almost painful to watch it now after wandering in darkness for so long.

When Sara shifted, Big Brother put a hand over her face to protect her eyes, but she brushed him off. He let her down and watched as she carried her daughter back to her room. When she returned, she had a doll in her hands.

"I had one of the others make this to help me sleep. For awhile, it worked." She held it up for him to see. It was a portly thing, looking more like a ball with a head and limbs sewn on and made to look like him. It even carried a little harpoon on a piece of yarn. "It's also one of Susan's favorite toys. It's like she remembers you the way I once saw you, back when I was still a Little Sister." She puts her hand on his arm, her fingers tracing a jagged scar in the metal caused by a Spider Splicer's hook. "You were such a sight back then. I-I can't really put it into words anymore. It's just been so long. But to see you now, I'm even more awestruck. I guess it's because you aren't just a figure in my memories anymore. You look more real now than you ever were back in Rapture." She looked upstairs and smiled, "Susan's looking for Little B, I should give him back before she gets upset."

Big Brother tilted his head in confusion.

"I don't know what it is, but I just _feel_ what Susan wants sometimes." She did her best to be silent as she moved up the old stairs and dissapeared through the doorway.

Big Brother just stood by the window and watched the sun. While the household began to wake up to the new light, he grabbed his weapons and left through the basement enterance. It was the only opening that he could fit through, as he was too big for the front door without risk of breaking something.

Outside, he thought he saw some movement in the distance. Before he could react, a large figure, almost the size of him, slams into his side and carries him away. He was carried several meters before being thrown into the nearby forest. As he crashes through the small trees, his attacker knocks over one of the larger trees, dropping it on top of him.

As Big Brother pushes it off, his eyes turn red and he rolls into a ball, launching himself high into the air, above the tree tops. Along the way, he snags a branch with his cable on a tree and uses it to pull himself back to earth, right where the enemy was still standing. He lands with such force that he leaves a crater on impact.

While attempting to recover, he's launched through the air again and comes crashing down on a boulder. Something bends and he watches as one of his back plates hits the ground. He snatches it off the ground as he gets back up and holds it before his face as the man's fist puts another dent into it. But when he failed to punch through, all that force went back into his arm. There was a loud _crack_ as bone split.

The man wails in pain, but charges forwards, slamming his shoulder into Big Brother's gut. He lifts him up and runs him into another tree. This one was stronger, so it bore the impact without falling. But now Big Brother was stuck in the wood. The man takes his good arm and readies himself. But with a flick of his wrist, Big Brother's cable snaps around and wraps itself around the limb.

With his arm caught, Big Brother uses him to pull himself out and hefts the man over his head by his belt and slams him into the ground. He puts his foot into the man's chest, knocking him back into the air where he grabs his foot and swings him into a dead tree, turning it to splinters. Severely battered and bruised, the man finds it difficult to get up again. But this level of punishment wasn't enough to finish him off as the man pulls out something from his pocket and covers his face.

Big Brother was instantly blinded by the bright light of the flash grenade. Unable to see, he loses his balance on a root and topples over. The man takes his time finding his second wind and get up again. His body had been spliced enough times that he was incredibly durable.

"You are truly a worth adversary. I am glad that we captured that big fellow. The Serum we made from his blood was like liquid power. But I have orders to kill everyone but the woman. So that means I will kill you. But first, let us see what you look like." The man grabs hold of Big Brother's helmet and was about to pull.

Big Brother takes this opportunity to wrap his cable around the man's neck, distracting the man long enough to grab his anchor. He slams it into the man's hip, knocking him over so he could hit him on the side of the head, dropping him flat. But even that was only enough to stun the man. Big Brother, still having difficulty seeing from the flash, was raising his weapon to finish the man off, only to miss his mark. The man rolls across the ground, hoping to stay out of the way. Big Brother tries again, but smashes a rock instead. When he goes for a third attempt, another man, as big as the first, crashes into him.

"Ha! Did you really think it was so easy to beat one of the Panzer Faust? Hah!" The man turned to his comrade, "Hey, did Number Seven get the woman yet?"

An army Splicer walked into the scene, carrying a radio, "Yep, the job's done. And it seems that she has a little girl too."

"Good, tell Faust Number Seven to finish off everyone e-" he stops to look down. There was a large fist poking through his stomach. Big Brother then grabs the other man by the head and used him to plug up the hole. When he began to struggle, Big Brother took a black polyp, shoved it into his gut, and squeezed. The resulting implosion from the Gravity Well reduced the two to a pile of red meat.

The army Splicer didn't know what to do as this massive figure loomed over him. But then, without any reason, Big Brother turns and leaves him. For a moment, he thinks that he is safe. But that ends when a tree trunk is dropped onto him. Big Brother stopped and looked back to see another figure standing there. His eyes go wide as he looks upon a face he would have never believed to ever see again.

Standing there was a near-splitting image of Sara. But her pale skin, her filthy hair, and the glowing eyes told him that he had found her sister. He couldn't believe that the Big Sister from Rapture, the one he tried to protect, was actually Susan all along.

She kicks the tree, unaware as to why Big Brother was just standing there. But when his mind snaps back to the task at hand, he urgently growls and roars, pointing in the direction of the house. He didn't have to speak words to get his point across as Susan jumps on his back.

Big Brother, shielded by his contact Telekinesis, leaves a trail of carnage in his wake as he crashes through the forest. Trees shattered and toppled while bushes were torn up and pushed aside like they were nothing but air as he passed. Roots were ripped from the ground they were ribbons. Each step left a deep imprint in the ground that no rock or root could prevent.

It didn't take long before he came to the house, only to find it aflame. He didn't notice Susan dropping off his back as he charged inside. He puts both hands through the wall and tore it away like paper. The flames washed over him, but he ignored it and went inside. All the furniture was consumed by fire while puddles of molten glass dripped onto the floor.

Big Brother roared as loud as he could, calling for anyone to reply. But all he could hear was the roar of the flames and wood crumbling down. He ran for the stairs, which were on fire as well. He somehow made it up a few steps before the wood collapsed. As he fell, his heavy body crashed through the floor, dropping him into the basement. Then he saw it, the burning form of Little B. The poor doll was lying on it's side, watching him, while the fires devoured it.

But just as he was about to give up hope, he heard something over the roar of the fire. It was the call of a Big Daddy! Something inside Big Brother stirred from it's slumber and was unleashed.

All around him, the flames became like water, flowing over his body, but they didn't dare touch him. For his heart was as cold as death itself and even the fires of hell would not consume him. He roared so loud that even the devil would run in fear. As the flames swirled around him, he leaped out of the house, taking flames with him.

Outside, he found the men and women hiding behind a large oak tree while a group of army Splicers shot at them. There wasn't much room for them, and the Splicers were making their way around. The Splicers scattered when they saw Big Brother charging towards them like a hound of hell, but there was nothing they could do. His rage would not be quenched so easily.

His cable lashed out, snapping three in half. When several more started shooting at him, he hurled his anchor at them. The weapon, no long protected by his contact Telekinesis, exploded on impact. Molten shards peppered them, setting all of them ablaze.

A large man, just like the other two, hurled a rock, striking Big Brother on the head. But the stone turned to molten slag when it touched him. His cable became like a giant salamander as he lashed out with it. The soldier was burnt to a crisp before he hit the ground.

But even with the fight over, Big Brother was still enraged. He stamped the ground, incinerating everything on the ground around him. The flames lashed out like dogs at the end of their leash. Jack approached with an odd calmness to him before the old man gave a mighty bellow of his own, like that of a Big Daddy. This sudden realization snapped Big Brother out of his rage. It took some time to calm down and put out the flames, but once it was done, his armor was cool to the touch.

Jack walked up close and let out a long groan. Now that he had Big Brother's attention, he points to a scar on his wrinkled throat, indicating that he had his voice altered. Big Brother knew of the process, even though he was the only one who didn't need it. So that had to be one of the reasons Sara left with him.

He followed the old man to check on the family. To his woe, the soldier's words were true, for Sara and her daughter were missing. The men and a few of the women were injured from the fire and the fighting, but the children were unharmed and everyone was still alive.

But it was Sara's husband who took it the hardest. The man was on his knees, unable to find the strength to hold himself up any longer. All he could mutter was how he had failed to protect his family. He was a wreck, a weak and pathetic wreck.

Big Brother grabbed the man by his shoulders and shook him until he stopped crying. The man looked deep into the yellow light from Big Brother's eyes and nodded. "H-hey, Jack, where'd you hide Big Ol' Bertha?"

The old man looked surprised for a moment, but took one look at Big Brother and nodded before running off. Several minutes later, Jack came back holding a hunter's wet dream and worst nightmare. Big Brother couldn't believe his eyes, for this was a weapon that could be used to hunt _him_.

"Hey, where's those explosive rounds you've been working on?"

One Big Brother's plates slipped off.

* * *

When the truck lurched after hitting another bump, Sara rocked her daughter to keep her calm. The girl was trying her best not to cry, but it was hard without her doll. Even Jack couldn't handle the large men when they came. They cast him aside like he was nothing. Then one of them set the house on fire, with most of the family still inside it.

One of the two soliders guarding her looked like he was about to pass out, but she didn't like the look of the other. He was eyeing her in such a lustful way and it was making her nervous. But the other man seemed to know this and tapped his rifle on the floor.

"Don't even try it, Bill."

"What, I wasn't going to do nothing." But the man's smile never left him.

"Don't even try it," the man repeated. "You're going to get yourself in deep shit if you do."

"I told you, I'm not going to do anything!" The hammer of his pistol on his belt moved into position. "Hey, what the-" the gun suddenly went off. The truck screeched to a stop and a third man appeared to check on them.

"Now what the hell are you two doing?"

The one with the pistol couldn't answer. So instead he pointed at Sara.

"You know the bitch has powers. Keep your guns trained on her and she won't be so inclined to pull this shit."

The man with the gun pointed his rifle at the two, "Now, if you try that again, I'll have to explain why we are bringing a woman and a dead kid. You got that?" Sara looked at her terrified daughter and nodded. "Good, now sight tight and don't pull anything. Or the next thing to be pulled will be my trigger."

Sara did as she was told and sat still. She had been hoping to make a grab for the rifle, but lost her chance when the truck stopped so suddenly. There wasn't much she could do but wait and hope that help would arrive soon.

The truck stopped once more. The truck driving behind them stopped too and the soldiers inside got out. The two men went outside as well, but were quick to jump back inside as gunfire ensued.

"Get this thing rolling, NOW!"

The truck lurched as the man hit the gas. Then there was a loud bang and something tore the cover off. As the two trucks drove off, Sara looked around to see a devistated army camp. Amongst the carnage was a lone woman.

The woman raised her hand and several men were lifted into the air before being thrown like ragdolls. But as the soldiers fired their guns, a much larger figure slammed into the ground before her, acting as a living shield.

"Big Brother!" Sara screamed.

The large man reached back and grabbed what looked like a gun. But because it seemed to fit his size, it had to be more like that of a small cannon. She was right to duck and cover Susan's ears. For when he fired a round, it was like a bomb went off. The truck behind them lost control and crashed as both men in the front practically burst open like balloons. Big Brother loaded another round and fired again, taking out one of the larger men. The shot had to be powerful, for he was blown in two.

Before he could load another round, pair of tanks rolled into the scene and fired their cannons. Big Brother dissapeared in a cloud of black smoke and Sara feared the worst. But the barrel of his gun appeared and fired back. The shot must have killed the driver, for the tank started going out of control. Big Brother then loaded another round as he charged the second and slammed his shoulder into it's front.

Even though he was smaller than it, his power allowed him to smash through the metal. Five inches of steel armor plating crumpled like cardboard. Sara watched as he backed up a few steps and fired a round inside. The men's screams were silenced as there was another explosion.

The truck picked up speed and the camp quickly dissapeared from view. As the soldiers sat back down, bewildered by the amount of destruction, they heard a powerful roar.

"Hurry it up! We have to get back to Camp Alpha and tell them that Camp Epsilon has been destroyed!"

"You don't have to tell me twice!" the driver replied.

"Then step on it! We don't know how fast those to can go. All we can do is lose them."

Sara watched the smoke rise into the air as Big Brother's cries echoed in her ears.

* * *

Big Brother couldn't believe he had lost her again! He put his foot down on a soldier's head and looked around. Bodies, and their various parts, littered the ground around him. He was panting now, for he had expended so much of his power fighting all of them.

It was fortunate that the area for the Splicers had been kept seperate. He and Susan had taken care of them with a few well-placed trees. And a few rounds from Big Ol' Bertha sent the larger ones to their graves with due haste. The gun had been designed to take down large game, while the explosive ammo was for Big Daddies. Jack had always feared Rapture coming to the surface, but he had little to worry about.

Big Brother still couldn't believe the power of the rifle he now held in his hands. It weighted over eighty pounds of metal, and fired half-pound slugs. Then there were the one-pound explosive shells too. They took out everything and everyone he shot at. But it wasn't enough. He had been carrying nearly seventy pounds of ammunition, but was down to a quarter of that number now.

As he begins to walk, she falls to his knees. He was tired, he needed rest. But he wasn't going to until he knew that Sara was safe. This was the third came he had destroyed while looking for her, he wasn't going to quit now.

Susan grabbed him by his arm and helped him back to his feet. It was a good attempt, but she was tired and too small to move him anyways. He looked into her glowing eyes and was reminded of what he was fighting for. He took a deep breath and started moving.

But from the trees, several figures appeared.

"Hey, look there, he has ADAM!"

"Get him!"

Big Brother checked the chamber and found an explosive round inside. Things were going to get messy.


	10. Getting tired

**Sorry for taking so much time writing this. I haven't been all that focused lately (again), but I've tried putting some effort into writing every day. I've also been working on a few other things too, which has been keeping me busy.**

**One thing I think you should know is that I am planning on writing a sequal to Big Brother. I'm just not sure just how many chapters will be left. I have some ideas I've been playing with, but I just need to keep writing. Until then, I hope you still enjoy my story and send me your comments like you always do. I really appreciate them.**

* * *

The first shot took out two Thuggish Splicers and wounded the Leadhead behind them. He covered his face as they started shooting their guns. He heard a woman screaming and swatted the Spider Splicer away.

"I got you now!" a Houndini Splicer cried as he appeared behind Big Brother. Unfortunately for him, Susan was already standing there waiting for him. She used Telekinesis to pick him up and hurl him back at the others. Big Brother still couldn't believe what was happening.

A large number of Rapture's Splicers were here on the surface. He didn't know how they got here, but he knew that he had to get rid of them now and save Sara. He took aim and blasted a Brute Splicer's arm off, only for him get back up and charge again. Susan quickly set him on fire to sow confusion among their ranks. It was just what they needed as the Brute Splicer flailed about, knocking down any who came too close. One was unfortunate enough to have his burning corpse fall on top of her, setting her aflame as well.

The two had to make a break for it. Big Brother was tiring much too fast to win this fight. Splicer after Splicer, he killed them all as they came. He smashed the Thuggish, he tore apart the Leadheads, and blew apart the Brutes. But there just too many for him and Susan to fight on their own.

His rifle was getting heavy in his arms, a really bad sign. Then there were bullets denting his armor, revealing a weakening in his power. A fireball struck him on the shoulder and he felt it burn his flesh. He couldn't keep reinforcing his armor any longer. His powers were running out of fuel.

He didn't want to do this, but he had to. He growled to Susan, who shrieked her concern for the damage to his body. But he was already dissapearing in a green haze. She nodded her head and teleported. As the haze covered him, he felt his hold on this world fading. Just as he was almost through, a heated hook found it's way into his porthole, melting it's way through the glass.

Before he knew it, he was falling through a tunnel, the world screaming all around him. His senses were gone, leaving only the sense of urgency to leave this place. His bones were cold as ice, his blood was like molten fire, and his nerves were numb to any sensation. But then he felt the hook, still lodged in his helmet.

It was still burning hot, as there was nothing here to cool it. There was no air here, no vacuume, nothing but him and it. Big Brother couldn't pull it out, for he didn't have any power to move while in this state. After what felt like an eternity, he saw the end of this hellish realm and popped back into his own world.

As his senses rapidly returned, he realized that the hook was starting to burn at the flesh around his eye. He quickly tore it out, only to rip out the glass of the porthole. Not only did he shatter it, he tore part of the metal as well and spilled the liquid inside his helmet. As the bright lights of the sun burned his eyes, the surprise of this new sensation sending him into a blind craze. He thrashed madly about, not knowing if that he was bumping into were friend, enemy, or merely trees.

When Susan found where he had re-entered, she screeched and kept her distance from him. But he couldn't maintain it with his lack of strength. His actions slowed, the fatigue sapping the strength of his rage. Susan only approached him once his eyes had turned from red to yellow. Like Big Daddies, most of the glow came from a bio-luminescent chemical inside his helmet. It helped to show others his mood, but his could be drained from his helmet before he took it off. This was another feature that his armor possessed that the Big Daddies lacked.

He sat himself down against a fallen tree and started removing some of the most damaged pieces of his armor. Most of them had simply been pieces of metal he had hammered into shape and either tied or rivited into place. Several of these plates were severely torn, burned through, or full of bullet holes. But most of the damage was to his front, so he still possessed his rolling plates. Unfortunately, he was down one during the battle with the first Panzer Faust. As he was trying to remove his helmet, Susan stood before him and helped to remove it.

After so many years bathed in chemicals, his hair was thin and nearly lifeless. Susan brushed the hair covering his face aside to get a look at him. She seemed to study his features for a few seconds before looking around for something. She took a piece of glass and put it on top of a metal plate to build a make-shift mirror to show his reflection. He wouldn't have believed what he could see in front of him until he saw his hand reaching up to touch his face.

During the time before his change, he had once been a handsome man. Afterwards, he had become muscular and well-toned. But the years without sunlight left him pale. Over time, as he absorbed more and more ADAM, Plasmids, and Tonics, his body bulked up even more. His face appeared slightly swollen and the skin was as tough as leather. Over time, many of his teeth had fallen out as his gums got bigger and all the bones in his body started snapping apart to adjust to his growth. But those that were lost were soon replaced with larger versions that were a better fit for his jaw once it all stopped.

This realization only drained him further. He was hungry, tired, and had no more EVE. He needed food and rest, but he didn't want to stop. He had to save Sara from the Templar, he would not stop until he had her save in his arms again.

But Susan wouldn't stand for him hurting himself anymore. Although she looked like a frail woman, she was much stronger than her tiny frame would show. She planted her feet and pushed him back into the tree. Big Brother was surprised when her eyes turned red, but then he realized that his were as well. She was merely reacting to him getting mad. He took a deep breath and calmed down as he tasted the forest air for the first time in a long time.

He couldn't belive that he had forgotten what it was like breathing the surface air. There were trees in Rapture, but they were not a forest like the one they were in now. When he opened his eyes, he saw nothing but a violet haze. Susan had just teleported, he didn't know where. But for now, while there were no Splicers or Templar about, he would wait.

He knew he had to save Sara, but he only had the strength to fight in physical combat, but even that was limited. He was even noticing the weight of Big Ol' Bertha, the eighty-pound rifle. When he had first received it, he had not noticed it to be heavy at all. If he lost any more strength, he would certainly fail and die.

Susan was gone for nearly an hour, but when she returned, she carried several apples in her arms. She dropped them before Big Brother and vanished again. He picked up one of the fruit and took a bite. It was still green, so it was sour, but he didn't care. After so many years of scavanging canned food, it was a welcome change. He had finished most of them when Susan returned, this time with a loaf of bread. He wasn't about to ask where or how she obtained it. Right now, it seemed that her only concern was that he got his strength back.

He handed her an apple and tore off a piece of the bread for himself before handing off the rest. She didn't seem to mind the sour taste either, but that was more because she lacked any experience with food. He knew what it was like having to exist on whatever could be found in Rapture.

Big Brother was about to get up again and was forced back down. Susan shook her head and sat in his lap to keep him down. He didn't want to lose Sara's trail, but then he realized that he didn't know where he was. His ability to teleport was stronger than Susan's, but he lacked the precision. He closed his eyes and allowed himself to drift off to sleep. All he needed was some time to regain his strength, then he would be well enough to last for a few days.

* * *

Seeing the large man hang his head down, Susan was surprised to find that he was out like a light. She poked the side of his head, only to get a snort from him. Back in Rapture, it was difficult finding somewhere to sleep in any amount of peace. There were Splicers roaming everywhere, and if there was a spot where there were none, another Big Sister had already called it as her own.

To survive, the Big Sisters were on their own. They didn't like company anymore, not like they once did when they were just little girls. Back then, they would sleep in groups in any safe location. They would even sleep in the vents where nobody could reach them. Many Splicers tried, Susan could hear their voices calling for them. But the girls would never leave unless there was a Big Daddy calling for them.

Unable to sleep, Susan pondered on the name that woman had called as she was being taken away. She was calling to someone, but who? Was it this man, who was now her protecter? What had she called him? Why did is sound so familiar?

Big...bother? No, that was certainly not it. Big...bro...brother?

"B...B...Bi...Big..." the words felt familiar, but it was such a strain to speak them. "Big...B...B...Bro...ther. Big Brother..." then it hit her. "Big Brother...f-f-fam...ily...f-family."

She closed her eyes and soon fell asleep as well.

* * *

"So, how many soldiers were lost?"

The man didn't like the position the scientist was putting him in. This man had almost single-handedly created the Serum the Templars used. He was a certifiable genius, but a mad-man as well. He was concerned that he was going to be put on the dissection table.

"We lost four whole camps. Several Panzer Faust have also been found dead and a few more are MIA."

"Such a dissapointment, maybe we should start increasing the doses. But how can we prevent the degredation in the subject's cognitive abilities?" The scientist snapped his fingers, "We might as well utilize the fluid. Soldier, come here."

The man didn't move at first, prompting the scientist to walk up and lift him off the floor by his throat.

"I dont't like it when my orders are not carried out." He slammed the man on the table with enough force to knock the air out of him. This gave him to the time he needed to strap him down.

"What do you think you are doing?"

"Science is the process of experimentation and discovery. Right now, I will experiment the effects of the fluid we have discovered inside the subject's helmet. I am sure there is something useful to be had locked away inside it."

"You're mad! You won't get away with this!"

"Oh, but I have, my good man. I require subjects for my experiments, and you Templar have proven quite useful. Such blind devotion for what you believe is your cause for war. Personally, I find war to be useful in finding more subjects. And you have found yourself to be the first among many new soldiers. That is if the process doesn't kill you or force me to chop you apart and use you for spare parts. The process has only twice, the second one on myself." The scientist pulled his collar down to reveal a scar all along his neck. "Now, let us begin."

The man's screams would not be heard through the heavy walls that surrounded them.

* * *

But there was one who did hear the screams. Little Susan was covering her ears, trying to keep them out. Her mother was holding her, but there was little that she could do to comfort the girl. To her, the screams were happening everywhere, yet nowhere. She didn't know what they were, or why they were happening. She was too young to understand what was happening, or how to stop it.

"Will you silence that child of yours!" cried one of the guards. Unlike the men who brought her here, these two didn't have guns on them. They were members of the Panzer Faust. The only weapons they had on them were the spiked gauntlets they wore. This meant that there was nothing that Sara could use to attack with using her powers. There wasn't even a key, just a large metal bar that only they could move. And even if there was, something to attack them with, they were too strong. So instead, she gently rocked her child, who was still terrified by all that was happening to them.

She put her forehead against Susan's and felt a spark between their minds. The girl's crying subsided, remembering the feeling. It happened the first time the woman kissed her child the day she was born. It was like there was a link between them, a link formed by the ADAM in their bodies. Sara wasn't completely sure about the effects, or if they would manifest into anything. She touched her head against Susan's again, not knowing that there was another link connected to her. It was weak, but it would not be broken by any amount of time.

* * *

As Big Brother woke, he wondered if there was a leak in one of the pipes again, for his head was wet. Then he remembered that he wasn't inside Rapture anymore and looked up to see that it was raining. Fortunately, neither of them were bothered by the cold. Even without her armor, Susan's body was perfectly adapted to it. In fact, she was still asleep, even soaked as she was. She wore a simple dress she must have stolen from somewhere, with pieces of her old suit underneath.

He got up and carried her in his arms as he made his way through the forest. He wasn't sure where to go, but his legs seemed to want to go west. Without any clue as to why he 'wanted' to go that way, but he just went with it.

As he walked, Big Brother listened to the falling rain. It was so different from the sounds of the water that dripped from rusty pipes. If circumstances hadn't been so dire, he would have enjoyed himself at this time. But, in a way, he almost missed hearing the hollow sounds of those pipes. They were just one of the ways he knew when trouble was about. Now, without them, he wasn't sure how to know if he was being followed.

He stopped and listened, but the rain was coming down harder than before, drowning out any other sounds. This troubled him, but he knew he would have to keep going in the direction that was chosen for him. To stop now would be pointless, so he put one foot before the other and was off again.

After awhile, Susan woke and climbed his shoulder to sit on his back. He still had his back plates, minus one, so it was a good place for her to watch for trouble. He was glad for the company, for being alone meant you fought and died alone. If he were to die today, he would do so fighting by her side.

It was good that she was up there, for her cry couldn't have come at a better time. He turned, his heavy boots digging into soft ground, and he caught the Panzer Faust by the shoulder. The man was surprised that Big Brother could move so quickly, while his own muscles only slowed his actons.

Big Brother grabbed hold of the man's arm and dislocated his shoulder with a quick twist. Before he could finish the Faust off, he was struck by an Electro Bolt. Susan was blasted off as his plates scattered and she dissapeared into the bushes. Normally, such a hit wouldn't have hit him so bad. But he wasn't at his best and was covered in water. He just didn't have his usual level of resistance. Another bolt hit him, along with a hit of Winter Blast, freezing the water that coated him. He was encased in ice almost instantly.

A pair of Splicers came out from behind the trees, "Ha, he hardly knew what hit him."

"You idiots, he had a partner!" the Panzer Faust yelled at them. "Hurry and find her, or it will be your heads!"

"Alright, keep your panties on. Oh, that's right, there aren't any that will fit that big ass of yours."

The larger man grabbed his limp arm and popped it back into place with a loud _crack_ that could be heard even over the rain. He flexed it a few times, sending the two army Splicers on their way. While both of them would have loved to blast him with their powers, they were under strict orders to follow him. Plus he was the only one who could handle Big Brother in close combat.

There was a flash of electricity as Susan was launched into the open, where the Faust could seize her. He put her arm around her neck and held her tight as she struggled against him. Little did he know that Big Brother was still concious. Even encased in a prison of ice, he knew something was wrong.

The ice around his waist shattered as he twisted, slapping the Faust with an ice-covered hand. Susan used this chance to flip her legs up and planted her feet under his chin. From there, she slipped her head out his arms and kicked herself off him while throwing a fireball.

"Hah, missed me!"

"That's cause it wasn't for you!" one of the Splicers cried. "Watch out!"

It was too late, the fireball had weakened the ice covering Big Brother's legs, letting him run at the Faust. It was a strange sight, seeing a man as large as him, his upper half still held by a thick layer of ice. Big Brother slammed his head into the Faust's and took a big breath now that his face was uncovered.

"Hurry up and freeze him again!" the man cried, but the two Splicers were screeming as they flew over the tree tops. Susan lifted her hand, as if holding something up, and brought Big Brother down with her Telekinesis, right on top of the Faust. To any Splicer, his weight alone would have been enough to crush them. But Big Brother had not only his own weight, but that of his armor and the ice that covered his chest and arms. To add to all that, there was also the force Susan put into his fall by using her powers.

The Faust had tried to duck out of the way, but it was too late and his bones were turned to dust. Seeing that his coat wasn't badly damaged, Big Brother took it off the man and put it on. It was a bit of a tight fit, for the Fausts were not quite as big as he was. But the way he figured it, it would serve as a disguise at a distance. If any other Splicers came about, he would have at least a few seconds to deal with them. All he could hope was that none of them noticed his hunched back.

As Susan dissapeared into the coat, glad to get some cover, he knew he would have a surprise for any who saw through him.

* * *

"What news have you to report?" the scientist asked.

"Sir, we have lost contact with another Panzer Faust. We are not sure as to his location at this time."

The scientist was hardly fazed, he seemed more dissapointed than surprised, "A pity, for they were once my greatest creation. But now I see that they are quickly becoming obsolete."

"Sir?"

"Do you know why we cannot inject more of the Serum into these men?"

The soldier wondered what the man was getting at, but he played along anyways, "Because the Serum drives the men crazy when injected in high doses."

"That is correct, but I believe I have solved that problem. Behold the Landkreuzer!"

The man couldn't believe his eyes and foolishly fired at it with his pistol. The bullets found flesh, but only dug deep enough to irritate the monstrosity before him. A large hand grabbed him by his head and crushed it like a small fruit.

"Now I see that you have some automated functions. Your survival instinct should come in handy in the future. But, I suppose I should have someone clean this mess up before the 'superiors' come looking for the results. But I supposed I cannot let this man go to waste. Landkreuzer, put him on the table, I wish to cut him open."


	11. Landkruezer

**I know this isn't quite as long as you might want it to be, but I'm trying. I've also got other ideas in my head that have been bothering me. But I will try to get another chapter done.**

* * *

"Hey, where's that food!" the Splicer complained.

"If I knew that, I would have told that jerk where to look!" The one who replied was tired of the other's whining. They were all hungry, there was no changing that.

While the two Splicers argued, a third was watching for any trouble. Ever since coming to the surface, they had to live off of whatever they could find. Back in Rapture, they could find the occasional Pepbar or can of fruit. Unfortunately, their unnatural scent drove off the local animals. This made it difficult to be able to feed their numbers, which had been cut down after locating the one they knew as Big Brother.

The sentry was surprised by how quickly and easily he took them down. Many didn't even get a chance to land a hit before they were squashed or shot. And where in the deepest pits of all the hells did he get a gun like that? It was like he was carrying a small cannon in his hands. And the sound it made could have Andrew Ryan himself turning in his grave.

"I'm hungry!"

"Then eat Bill already!" the sentry replied.

The dozing Leadhead Splicer shot up to his feet and looked around, "Huh, what?"

"Put your gun down already you bloody git! Before you shoot someone, preferably anyone but me. You can shoot the others for all I care."

"Oh shut it!" another replied.

"No, you shut it, or I'll feed you a knuckle sandwich!"

"It would be better than listening to all the whining."

Bill looked about, still agitated and feeling unsure about something, "You guys hear something?"

"No, what?"

"Bill, go check it out with Lars."

"Why do I have to go with Bill?" Lars asked.

"Because you would only doze off like Bill if you stayed! Get moving!"

The Leadhead and Houndini Splicer left the comfort of the campfire and wandered off to check on what made the sound. Bill didn't know if he even wanted to look, so he pulled up his machine gun to ease his nerves. As for Lars, he wasn't sure why he was going with Bill, or even if there was a sound to look for to begin with. But he was told to come out, he wasn't going to get in trouble for not listening.

"So, see anything?" Lars asked.

Bill shook his head and said, "No, do you?"

"You're asking me?"

"What was that?" Bill turned around, but couldn't see anything but trees and dark sky peeking through the branches. "Hey, where did the fire go?"

"It's probably hidden by the trees."

"We're not far enough for that you idiot! Hurry!" Bill started running, Lars barely able to keep up with him.

Once they got back to the camp, the two were shocked by the carnage. It was as if something had trampled through the area, smashing everyone to bloody pieces. Those who's faces were still intact had looks of pure terror. But the lack of sound, what could have done such a thing?

"I'm getting out of here!" Lars cried and vanished in a crimson mist.

Bill knew something was wrong when he felt something splatter on his face when that happened. He looked down to see a large boot standing on what used to be the Houndini Splicer. Then he looked up and saw someone looking back. He saw a familiar yellow glow looking back at him.

When the glow turned red, Bill turned and ran. He didn't care if he had a gun in his hands. He knew what happened when one shot at a Big Daddy, and this was no Big Daddy! Hell, this...thing...was even bigger by at least a foot or two!

A tree came down and would have flattened the Leadhead Splicer if he hadn't jumped. As he was getting up, he saw the giant again and screamed in terror. How did it catch up to him so easily?

Something flew past his head, splitting a dead tree. Bill turned and was stopped when another one went by, just inches from his head. He ducked and kept running as another flew over him.

His legs began to ache and his lungs burned, but he wasn't going to let that stop him as he ran for his life. After a mile, he stopped and hid by a large tree to catch his breath. He looked around, but it was too dark to see anything. But all he had to do was keep an eye out for their glowing eyes.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Bill shrieked when a Houndini Splicer appeared before him.

"Don't do that, and get down! Something's out there!"

The woman didn't quite believe him and looked out from behind the tree, "I don't see anything."

"That's the problem, you don't want to! Now get down you idiot!"

"Suck an egg, I'm not scared. Hey, what was that sound?"

Bill thought about simply leaving the other Splicer to her fate, but found that he couldn't get up. It was then that he noticed the pain in his back and chest. Something was pouring down his body, something wet. He reached into his coat and felt something sticking out of him. Because his body was so degraded from ADAM use, he didn't feel it hit him.

"Hey, I'm going ahead, I'll see you in hell." Bill stuck the barrel of his gun in his mouth. He pulled the trigger with a smile.

* * *

"What did you-OH HELL!" she screamed when the Leadhead blew his brains out. "What the blood hell was wrong with you?" She kicked the Leadhead's warm corpse, but he didn't move.

"Huh?" She kicked him again, but he appeared to be stuck.

Looking around the tree, she was shocked to find a small tree had been used like a spear. It had pierced through the larger tree and went through the Splicer before she what had happened. Now she was on her own and facing an unknown threat. She wasn't going to hang around to find out who they were and dissapeared in a red haze.

She reappeared and vanished several times before she was back at her camp, badly needing to catch her breath. The other Splicers were wondering just what the Houndini was so paniced about and chose to ignore her. All they wanted was more ADAM, not the ramblings of a Splicer who was scared of her own shadow.

"We...we...have to go, now!" she screamed. The other Splicers didn't seem to care.

"Bill and the others are dead!"

"You sure you didn't kill him for his ADAM?"

"You think I could have put that tree in him?"

The Splicers chuckled amongst themselves, for even for them, this was crazy. It was only when one of the two Nitro Splicers among them was hit. He was pinned to a tree, pierced through the side.

"I-I c-c-can't feel my legs!" he wailed, for his spine had been severed. The other Splicers scattered when he took out a grenade and lit it. "I always wanted to go out with a b-"

The explosion scattered bits of meat and gore across the area. The Splicer who had laughed first looked to the Houndini, who was trembling with fear.

"O-ok, e-everybody...RUN!" he cried as another small tree whizzed through the air.

But the Houndini didn't dissapear, for the other Nitro Splicer, a woman, was crying for the loss of the only other one of her kind in their group. There weren't many Nitros left in Rapture anymore, their hands having degenerated to the point that they had difficulty making their bombs.

Showing a surprising amount of bravery, the Houndini slapped the Nitro Splicer's face and almost had to drag her from the area. More trees and even rocks flew all around them.

The two didn't know where to run, for the other Splicers had scattered to the winds. There were screams all about as they were hit. Unable to handle her fear anymore, the Nitro dropped a smoke bomb. Unfortunately, this only confused the Houndini, who didn't know what was going on until a rock clipped her shoudler.

She was fortunate that she was still alive, but her arm was broken. As the smoke cleared, she saw them: glowing eyes in the distance. Like the eyes of demons, they glowed red, as if filled with bloodlust. She hurled a fireball, scoring a direct hit, only for the beast to brush off the flames like they were nothing but specks of dust.

It picked up a rock, tearing it from it's bed in the ground. As it was about to throw it, the Houndini Splicer dissapeared. But she didn't run away, instead, she reappeared amongst the branches of a tree that stood over it.

From her vantage point, she hurled fireball after fireball, scoring a hit each time. The beast wasn't even trying to dodge. It's lumbering mass was too difficult for it to move so quickly, making it a great target. A weak smile spread across her lips as she watched it burn.

But that smile quickly vanished when a burning arm reached out from the flames and slammed the tree. Even as thick as it was, the tree cracked and broke apart. It was too late for her to escape as she fell into the flames.

It's target done for, the Landkruezer lumbered away, looking for it's next target. This happened to be a Thuggish Splicer, who didn't stand a chance with his puny wrench. The man's screams soon joined the orchastra of pain and death.

x

Somehow, the Nitro Splicer had managed to get away from all the carnage that took the others. She had run for so long that she wasn't sure she was around any of their camps anymore. She was tired and needed to sleep. She quickly found herself several bushes that she could pull up and sat herself amonst a tree's roots. She used the bushes to conceal herself while she slept. Fatigue quickly overtook her and everything went dark.

Her mind showed her nightmares of demons with red eyes and the pieces of the other Nitro Splicer's head laughing. They laughed because there was no escape. There was no ADAM to be had here, not enough in Rapture, and none anywhere else. She had only survived by cannibalizing her fellow Splicers and fallen Big Daddies and Big Sisters. Now there weren't even any of them around on the surface. Soon, the ADAM in her body would cannibalize her.

When she woke, she froze when a foot stepped into view, just feet from her cover. From what she could see, these were soldiers. Then she sensed it, no, she _smelled_ it: ADAM. She wasn't sure if it was ADAM or not, but these men had the scent of it. It was different, but her body yearned for it.

She slowly pulled out a grenade and tossed it from her cover. The man's eyes followed it, unsure at first by it's shape. When he saw the burning fuse, he knew what it was. But it was too late for him to get to cover as it exploded, the shockwave blasting him off his feet.

As a Nitro Splicer, and from where she lay, her body could handle the explosion that blew him away. Her skin held the scars made by the many fragments created by her bombs, but they never went deeper than that. These men lacked that strength, that resilience. This was perfect for her. She tossed out another grenade while the others looked for their attacker.

Three more were blown away by the blast. She dropped a smoke bomb beside her and used the cover to locate the fifth. She punched him between the legs and planted a grenade near him. She relished the sound of the explosion and the dirt falling back to earth. Then her instincts kicked in.

It didn't matter to her that these were once people, possibly fellow Splicers. These men were different, and their ADAM tasted so sweet. For the next two days, she took in their strange ADAM, let it become a part of her. More came, looking for their comrads, but she had set up traps around the area. Their attempts to survive only led to their messy deaths.

During that fight, the Nitro Splicer was happy to learn that the strange sticks these men carried were grenades as well. Much better than her own. And they didn't scatter any shrapnel either. This meant she could be closer to the blast without fear of metal fragments cutting into her thick skin.

She felt so much stronger than she ever did before. Their strange ADAM made these men so succulent. She had to find more while this feeling of invincibility lasted. The Nitro Splicer took off into the forest, watchful for signs of movement. She kept low, always peering through bushes or from behind trees to prevent someone noticing her too soon.

"Hey, see anything?"

The Nitro Splicer grinned as she readied a stick grenade.

"Nope, nothing yet," came the responce. "You sure they went this way?"

"Positive, so keep looking."

She popped the cap on the bottom of the grenade and gave it a toss.

"Grenade!"

"I got it!"

Good, a sacrificial lamb, that meant at least one went down. She readied another grenade and was about to throw it when she realized that there was a Panzer Faust. The two men he was with were standing safely behind his large form. Their ears would have been ringing, but they were uninjured.

The Nitro Splicer threw her grenade when she realize she had been cooking it for too long. It exploded halfway between her and them, not enough to cause any injuries. She would have prepaired another but the Faust was quickly closing the gap between them. She dropped a smoke bomb and ran for cover, hurling one of her own grenade over her shoulder as she did.

A burst of Incinerate and an Electro Bolt exploded around her, bu their aim was off. They weren't used to fighting an original Splicer. She was stronger, faster, and a lot more unstable than they were.

She dropped another smoke bomb by their position and ran right at them, ignoring their attacks. The Faust was nowhere near them, leaving them vurlnerable. She slammed into one and put a live grenade under his body before he knew what she had done. The explosion scattered pieces of him everywhere, blinding the other. She stole two of his grenades and pulled the cap on the third.

"I can't see! I'm-" he couldn't finish when the explosion blew him apart.

"Dead? I'd tell you you'd be ok, but I saw your ear go that way."

"You little bitch!" the Faust growled as he took a swing at her. But she was ready with a third smoke bomb. "What, running away again?"

"Hardly, you big oaf!" she jumped onto his back and forced something into his face. He didn't know what it was as he thrashed about and clamped down with his teeth. She yelped as she was thrown off and and hit the dirt. The Faust took the object out his mouth and his eyes went wide when he realized it was a live stick grenade.

The Nitro Splicer enjoyed this one even more than the others, for his ADAM made her much more powerful than ever before. Her muscles were slowly building up and hardening, becoming more and more like living armor. She couldn't help but laugh to the sky as she got even stronger. There wasn't anything that could stop her now.

More, she had to have more. She wasn't about to let this feeling fade any time soon. She wanted to get stronger. If she had more ADAM, she could rule this area.

Another figure came into view, this one even _bigger _than the Faust. She hurled a smoke bomb with her new-found might. It struck the man's arm and exploded, covering the area in a thick cover of smoke. Three stick grenades followed, throwing a lot of dirt into the air.

Once the smoke settled, there was a strange metal ball where he had been standing. Even with her enhanced physique, the Nitro Splicer was horrified to realize just who she was facing. The ball rolled back, revealing a missing plate where a red glow was eminating. The Splicer took what remained of her supply of grenades and hurled the whole thing, only for it to stop mid-flight.

As the ball opened up, a woman was revealed, her eyes glowing red like the man's. The bag exploded with great force, but it was too far to deal any real damage to anyone. The man rolled back into a ball and shot through the air, aimed directly at the Splicer. She ducked for cover as he flew by, only to bounce off a tree and clip her on the side of her head. It wasn't enough to kill her, but the blow cracked her skull.

The man walked up to her and finished the job with his boot.

x

As soon as Big Brother dealt with the Nitro Splicer, he could quickly tell that there was something different about her ADAM. Susan could too and was disgusted by the scent ot it. Her ADAM was severely degraded and had been mixed with that of the army Splicers. The mutations it had done to her body left her larger than most Splicers, but she would have burned out much quicker for it.

Her body simply wasn't going to handle this strange mixture. While it did make her stronger, it was going to kill her in only a few days. This became evident when her body began to melt, her ADAM rapidly breaking down the cells in her body. Not even the bones were left.

While Susan wanted to move on, Big Brother planted a boulder over the remains of the Nitro Splicer. He didn't know why he did it, only that seeing the remains of her clothes reminded him of a Big Daddy who passed away before him. In any other world, this woman might have lived out her life as a normal person, doing normal things. Big Brother would have been the same, but in this world, he was no longer human. He had given up that status a long time ago.

Susan patted his cheek and he let out a deep sigh. There were going to be more deaths like this one in the future, that much was for sure. But unlike the Splicers of Rapture, the Templar had a purpose that needed to be stopped. Big Brother was not going to let the poison of Rapture infect the surface and destroy the beauty he had come to see.

As he slipped his plates back under the coat, Susan slipped inside and held herself against his large chest. It was a bit awkward for her, but it kept her from being noticed. The two had already snuck by three patrols today. Nobody wanted to mess with one who looked like an injured Faust. Those who did mess with him were soon dealt with.

Neither of the two knew where they were going, but Big Brother kept moving anyways. They ate whatever they could find in the wild and rations found on any army Splicers and Faust they came across. It was enough to keep Big Brother's strength up, something that he was going to need if he was to rescue Sara.

x

The scientist was facinated by the blood samples he took from the woman and her child. While the ADAM in their bodies was weak, especialy with the girl, it had some interesting reactions to his proding.

A man came through the doorway, obviously bothered by something.

"We have been getting reports of men going missing. Is there any reason I should be concerned by this development?"

"You knew that my research required a constant supply of subjects for my experiments."

"Yes, but you shouldn't be using your own men!"

The scientist didn't like the tone in the man's voice, "They are merely pawns in a grand scheme. Their sacrifices have allowed me to expand my research tremendously. Here, let me show you." He snapped his fingers.

A pair of large hands reached out and snapped the soldier in two.

It was unfortunate that his work would have to be postponed for now, but these Templar were asking too many questions now. And this latest death would only draw the attention of those further up the chain of command. It didn't matter, though, for he had the Landkruezers.

From the deaths of nearly a hundred soldiers, fifteen Landkruezers have come into existance. Each one of them were eternally loyal to him and him alone. They would fight and die at his command.

And that thought alone pleased him to no end.


	12. Something's Wrong

"You there, hold it!" the soldier called when the large man walked through the gate behind one of their trucks.

Another soldier came up to the other and tapped him on the shoulder, "You do know who that is, right?"

"He's one of the Panzer Faust, I'm not an idiot. His size gives him away pretty well."

"That's not it!" the soldier tried to keep his voice down. "Don't you know we're not supposed to get in their way?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Look at him, one of them can put a fist through a cement wall. Do you really want to get in his way?"

"Are you even sure that he's one of them?"

The soldier would have slapped himself if he wasn't wearing a helmet, "You fool, look at the size of him! Hell, he's probably the biggest one so far, and you want to get in his way?"

"But look at the way he stands, he's all bent over."

"He probably got injured in a fight or something. We've been losing men all around the area. The last time we heard from HQ, two dozen men have dissapeared from the base. Whatever is out there has even been taking out the Panzer Faust. Hell, I seen what happened to two of them. They were blown to pieces, but with something I had never seen before. It was like they were squished until they went splat."

The soldier went pale, "You think he came across whatever's been doing this and lived?" He looked over the other's shoulder to see the larger man having a look around. He seemed lost, confused about where he should be going. Even with the hat he had one, it was obvious by his movements. For all the soldier knew, the man had taken a blow to the head and only had the sense to get back here.

He nodded his head and went back to his post. Little did he know that doing so saved his life.

* * *

Big Brother was surprised he made it this far into the base. Besides the one at the gate, nobody thought about looking at him too closely. His size gave him quite the advantage by making him appear very intimidating. Nobody wanted to mess with someone who looked like he could crush their head with one hand.

Susan was trying her best to hold onto his chest, but she had holding on for nearly twelve hours. She was also holding onto Big Ol' Bertha and the remaining ammo as well, which only made things even more difficult. But she was going to hold on for as long as she could.

"Hey, Faust!"

Big Brother froze and in the direction of the one who called. A man with a dignified look on his face strolled up to him.

"Come with me."

Big Brother grunted and did as he was told. He wasn't sure if his cover was blown or not, but he wasn't about to attack without reason. He followed the man into his tent and waited.

The look on the man's face melted away, leaving one filled with concern and anxiety. "Look, I don't want to alarm the men, but something has happened in HQ. We haven't gotten any word from them in some time. I want you to go see what has happened. I knew we shouldn't have taken that woman there."

Big Brother shifted suddenly, despite himself, and Susan slipped. The two froze as the man looked up from what he was doing.

"What are they doing out there?" He walked right past the two and looked outside.

"Sorry Sir, lost my grip."

"You be careful with those guns. With our Serum running low, we will need them fairly soon."

Susan found a better grip and pulled herself up before the man turned back. It was fortunate that the soldier outside did what he did or they would have been found out.

"Now I know you're loyal to the man who made you the way you are, but this is serious. You won't be able to take the main road, a land slide has blocked it off. And the men I sent to clear it have yet to return." The man handed Big Brother a map of the area. "Fortunately, I knew of another path, in case something like this ever happened. You should be able to get inside and learn of what has happened. If you find anything, report back here. I don't want anyone else to know what you are doing."

Big Brother did the best salute he could, which proved to be sufficient enough to hold the disguise. He turned and left, putting the map into his pocket. In the back of his mind, he had to think that getting this was much too easy.

By the time anyone found the half-pound bullet, he was already long gone.

* * *

Although the other soldiers were too busy to notice, the commander already knew of the intruder. He dug a hole and left the bullet inside. Instead of calling the man out and have a fight on his hands, he put the stranger to good use. Something was indeed going on in HQ, but he didn't want to risk his men to go look. The Panzer Faust proved trouble enough at times, but the man didn't want to find out what happened now.

His head came up when he heard someone scream.

* * *

"Sound the alarm!" a soldier cried before he was sent screaming from the tower. The Brute Splicer roared with joy while several dozen more charged in. These were all who remained of the Spicers of Rapture. But even if their numbers were smaller than the Templar, they have been feeding on their fallen enemy. They had grown stronger by doing so and wanted to show their new power.

Soldiers hurled Electro Bolts, Winter Blasts, and used Incinerate on anyone not dressed like them. This managed to cull half the Splicer's numbers, but then their powers ran out. Without their Serum to fuel them, they simply didn't have the strength.

"Get the guns!" one yelled before he was frozen into a block of ice. A Brute Splicer charged in, smashing the soldier to pieces.

"Good idea, get their guns!" he yelled as he hurled chungs of ice around.

The men going for the storage house were swarmed by a pack of Houndini Splicers as they appeared from a massive cloud of red. Their fireballs set the building alight, causing bullets and grenades to go off, adding to the chaos. Anyone who wasn't dodging bullets or debris were running from Brute and Spider Splicers.

During the confusion, one soldier got a lucky hit on the back of a Splicer's head with a shovel. Unfortunately, the Splicer's body suddenly burst with electricity, zapping everyone near her. She couldn't believe that her Tonic was finally waking up. More elemental explosions erupted all around as more of the volatile Tonics were reactivated.

"Hey, hit this!" a Brute Splicer cried as he hurled a soldier into the air. Over a dozen fireballs took to the air, but only several actually hit their mark.

"Ha, I got him!" one of the Houndini's cried.

"No, I got him!" a second complained.

"Shut up, I did!" yelled.

The forth Houndini did the smart thing and vanished when a grenade bounced amongst them.

Things only started to turn ugly when the tank rolled in. Many of the Splicers started to run, for they never seen a mechanical monstrosity like this in their time in Rapture.

Two machine guns set in the sides started ripping up the crowd, oblivious to just who they were shooting. The turret turned and fired a shell that sent Splicers into the air. The crew inside loaded another round and fired, blasting more people. Splicers and soliders alike were blown apart.

Fireballs and grenades hit the tank, but were easily deflected by it's thick armor. A Brute Splicer tried to tear the cannon barrel out, only to be turned into red mist and various chunks of meat and bone.

"Shit, can this get any worse?" a Thuggish Splicer yelled as he ran for cover. Unfortunately for him, there was a tank sitting behind the wall he was going for.

* * *

Once they were at a safe distance, Big Brother cast of the coat and let Susan down. She wasn't very happy with the conditions she suffered while inside it but she quickly shrugged it off. The two had somewhere to be, this was their chance to save Sara and her daughter.

Because it was getting dark, they wrapped their faces with pieces of the coat to cut down the glow of their eyes. They wanted to sneak in, not show their presence.

While Susan teleported ahead, Big Brother took off at a run. Although he wasn't very experienced with the area, Susan was a great help at locating the land marks that dotted the path. It took several hours at top speed but they found the place.

Susan scouted ahead as she was the smaller of the two and was used to being stealthy. Big Brother lost her position after she jumped the gate. The lack of alarms meant that she was doing well so far. He waited there for several minutes before she returned. Even in the darkness, he noted the confused look in her eyes.

He followed her to the gate, where she let him in. Inside the camp, everything was strangely quiet. There were no soldiers, no Faust, nobody. The entire camp was empty. It was as if everyone had simply left without reason and dropped what they were doing on their way out.

At the end of the camp was a large structure that looked to be well-built. Big Brother and Susan were cautious as they walked up to it, wary of anything that might come out. But the interior was empty of life as well. The two went inside, always watching their back for anything that might try and sneak up on them.

The two were able to make good time looking around, for they were used to searching around in this kind of environment. When they came across a locked door, Big Brother simply kicked it in. He wasn't about to waste time looking for one little key when his boot could unlock any door. The door lead to a staircase going to the basement. Susan had no trouble, being the size of a young woman, but Big Brother had to squeeze in sideways after taking off his plates. He had to leave them behind because he didn't have any way to carry them with him without making a lot of noise in the process.

For him, it was strange, leaving them behind like that. All he had now was some armor, his cable, and his gun. It had such a strange name, but considering it's power, the woman it was named after must have been just as tough.

By the time he got to the bottom, Susan was holding something in her hands. Big Brother walked up to her side and realized that it was a Big Daddy helmet. He took it from her and looked into the porthole. What had this one suffered during his time here?

Without warning, Susan hit the floor and started to scream and thrash about. Big Brother had seen this before, down in Rapture. But even then, he didn't know what to do. He tried to stop her from hurting herself, only to be blasted back by her Telekinesis. She pushed him further into the wall until the stone started to break apart under the pressure.

It took all he had to hold himself together. He forced his hands out of the hole he was in and pulled himself out. But Susan changed the direction of her power and pushed him towards the floor. But he wasn't about to lose out so easily. He remained on his feet and tried to walk towards her.

Whatever madness had a hold of her was strong, she didn't seem to realize just what she was doing. He pulled his head up and roared. Somehow, for whatever reason, Susan snapped out of her state of panic just enough to release him. She raised her hand and brought the ceiling down.

The two of them were alright, but she leaped out to the upper floor and ran for a part of the building they haven't checked yet. Big Brother shook himself off and leaped up after her. The area she seemed so intent on finding looked like a prison. All the cells were empty but one. Susan used her Telekinesis to rip the door off it's hinges and hurled it at him. It caught him with enough force that he was knocked off his feet. He picked himself up and charged into the room, only to stop dead.

Sara was sitting there, a look of utter shock and horror on her face as Susan was holding her child. Susan seemed to be lost in the girl's bright blue eyes and tapped her forehead against hers. Big Brother felt a tingle run through his spine and Susan let the girl down.

The child didn't appear to be scared, in fact, she looked to be happy to see Susan. Big Brother didn't know why.

* * *

"Big Susan!" Sara heard her daughter cry out. Then the girl pointed to herself, "I'm Little Susan!"

She was lost for words, for she didn't know what was going on.

The girl turned to her mother and said, "Mommy, this is Aunty Susan!"

Sara was unable to speak as she realized who was standing before her. She got up and removed the cloth covering her face. The two put their foreheads together and an old link woke up. Memories poured into her head, memories of great protectors, visious monsters, and the realization of what Rapture really looked like. In those few moments, Sara knew who this woman was and what she had gone through.

Becuase the two were related by blood, the ADAM in their bodies enhanced the bond they once shared. This allowed them to communicate with each other on a whole other level. Just as Plasmids could share memories, the bond between these two was doing the same.

"Susan, I thought I had lost you..." Sara looked like she was about to cry until she got a look at Big Brother. At first she wasn't sure who she was looking at because of the cloth over his face. But when she saw the soft yellow glow in his eyes, she knew who he was. She wrapped her arms around his neck and squeezed as hard as she could. She tried to collect herself just enough to mutter, "Thank you."

"We got saved, mommy!" her child cried in celebration.

"Not just yet, first off, we have to get out of here. Big Brother?"

Big Brother was looking around, unsure about something.

"I know how you feel, I haven't seen anyone here for some time. Even the guards left and never returned."

Now that she thought about it, she was quite uneasy about all of this.

* * *

With everyone on Big Brother's back, the group made good time leaving the area. They came across very few soldiers, but they seemed confused and without any direction now. None of the soldiers attacked, for they looked like they wanting to leave and go home. They even came across a pair of Panzer Faust, but the two ignored the group as they poked a small fire.

Big Brother wondered of this was the end of the Templar. But this was too easy and it bothered him. But he had Sara and her daughter back and the twins were finally reuinited. He just wished that he actually felt happy about all this.

A new day was rising when they got back to the remains of Sara's house. They found Sara's husband sitting there, waiting for them. While they didn't have a home anymore, he was just glad to have the two back again. The house could be rebuilt, but his family was the only one he had.

After giving lots of hugs and kisses to his wife and daughter, the man looked over to Big Brother and Susan. "Hey, you two should come with us. You two can be part of the family too."

Sara put a finger to his lips and shook her head, "I'm sorry, but they have to go back."

"What? After what they did to save you and everyone else?"

"I know, it's painful for me to know this, but I shared memories with my sister. I know what she went through and I know that she won't find a life up here on the surface.

"So, this is goodbye?"

"I'm afraid so."

Big Brother knew this was coming. He and Susan were just too different. They still carried Rapture's taint and would remain this way for however long they lived. But under the surface, there was some measure of safety for them.

"Alright, it's not my place to tell them what to do. And I trust your judgement." He turned to the pair, "Alright, the quickest way to the ocean is east of here. Just keep going that way and you'll find it."

"I don't want them to go!" Little Susan started to cry. Big Brother shook his head and groaned. But that wasn't going to be enough for the girl.

Sara knew what to do, "They have to go home now. They live deep under the ocean where they can be safe from all the bad men."

"They can be safe?"

Big Susan touched her forehead to the child's and shared her memories of what it was like for a Little Sister to see a Big Daddy. Big like the world and strong enough to keep the monsters away.

"Bye Aunty Susan, bye Uncle Big." Little Susan waved to them both.

"B-bye...bye...b-be...good t-to...family," Susan replied, much to their surprise.

_Everyone_ was even more surprised when Big Brother managed to grunt, "Bye...bye..."

Sara never took her eyes off Big Brother as they left. Little Susan did the same, looking over her mother's shoulder until they were out of sight. He was glad, for didn't take his eyes of them either.

Susan crawled up Big Brother's back and sat on his shoulders as he turned around and started walking. Once again, his legs knew where to go before he did. He knew he was returning home, but his legs knew which way.

Home, the accursed place that made him what he was now, that took him from the life he could have lived. But he got to meet three interesting little girls who would always have a place with him. His heart was more than big enough for all of them.

As he took his time making his way down the road, Susan curled up and fell asleep on his back. After so much action, she needed it. Big Brother, on the other hand, still had enough strength to get them back. After all this, he might have a good sleep for once in many years.

* * *

When the fighting was done, the Splicers had won. But at such a cost.

There were only a few dozen of them left, mostly Leadheads, some Thuggish, and a single Houndini and Nitro Splicer each. All the remaining Brute Splicers died during the fight with the four tanks. The first two they took out on their own by jamming the parts, but the third required the help of the Nitros. Then they lost all the Spider Splicers and all but the one Nitro Splicer while dealing with the last tank.

The soldiers were either all dead or have left the camp, to battered and weary of all the fighting. They fought for a cause they thought would give them the world. Instead, all they got was blood and death.

As for the Splicers, those who remained were too injured and tired to go anywhere. The Leadheads were out of ammo, all the Thuggish only had two wrenches between them, and the Nitro was all out of grenades. As for the Houndini, he was so tired that he couldn't even make a spark.

Unfortunately, their ADAM was almost completely drained now, meaning they were going to die if they didn't get help. They would have drained the bodies of their ADAM and the Templar's Serum, but they were just too tired. They didn't have the strength to move from the spots they collapsed on.

"I guess this is it." The exhausted Thuggish let his wrench drop to the ground.

A gentle hand was placed on his shoulder and an old woman's voice answered, "Here, let me help you."

"Huh?" the Thuggish would have attacked if a strange sensation hadn't come over him. "W-what did you do to me?"

The man couldn't believe what was happening before his very eyes. All the mutations and degradation caused by the ADAM was melting away in a warm, soothing red glow. All that was left of the Splicer was the man he once was. He still felt weak, but he felt so much better now. He remembered the madness he suffered for so many years, but he was stable enough to retain his returning sanity.

"Doctor Tenenbaum?" he couldn't believe that he actually recognized the aging woman.

"I am so sorry it took me so much time, but I finally developed the cure."

"I'm...cured...I'M CURED!" the man cried to the sky.

The other Splicers looked to see what all the commotion was about, only to find someone standing over them. There were several women and one old man who touched each of them and purified their bodies.

The men and women were Splicers no more. They were human again. After so long, they had been returned to their former selves. Because they kept replacing their ADAM, age wasn't much of a factor in their lives. This meant that the former Splicers looked as if they had only aged by a few years before they began to splice.

Doctor Tenenbaum was so happy to see all the people celebrate their returning humanity. She had spent many years working on how to reverse the damage the ADAM caused them. It took so long, but it was finally done. From the group, one figure who stood out among them returned to the old woman's side.

"It's such a wonder sight, isn't it?" she asked.

"It truly is Eleanor, it truly is. I just wish we could return to help those who might still remain."

"I know, but I believe that they will be safe in Big Brother's care." Somehow, the woman knew that Big Brother was the reason they were able to save so many people.

"Come, let us leave this place and show these people to their new homes. Coming Charles?"

An old man, a former Big Daddy, joined her and the two left while the women, all former Little Sisters, gathered everyone up.

"Alright everyone, let's go home." Eleanor made sure everyone was accounted for as they left.

* * *

It took two days for the two, but Big Brother and Susan made it to the ocean. The sun was dissapearing below the surface as the day grew late. Susan was just stirring from her nap and jumped down from his back so she could walk with him up to the edge of the cliff. From here, it was just an hour's walk away from a beach where they could dive into the water. They wanted to avoid the rocks below. Even with his powers, he didn't have much armor left to protect himself.

But for now, Big Brother wanted to enjoy the sunset. This was going to be their last days on the surface, he wanted to make it special. While he wasn't going to be able to take Sara with him, he wasn't leaving empty handed. He had found the other sister who was seperated from her so long ago. Now he had a Big Sister to stay by his side. Now he wouldn't be so lonely. Susan, possibly sensing the thoughts in his head, looked into his glowing eyes and smiled as she leaned in closer.

His heart stopped when a bullet pierced her side.

"Good of you to join us. Now let us see if Frank Fontain was right about you."

* * *

**Big Brother's almost done! But please don't despair, I know you've been following my story for so long now and have loved it so much. I really do appreciate all of you reading my story. This will be my first completed story since I started writing when I was about 15. I'm 25 now and have gotten a lot better, as you can see. **

**Now you will have to wait for what happens next because I can't say anything about what the future will bring. With any luck, I might be able to keep things going a lot longer. Cross your fingers and hope it will fly.**


	13. End of Paradise

As Susan began to fall, Big Brother tried to catch her, only to be shot in the shoulder. As the two fell over the side, Big Brother threw his cable out onto a nearby tree stump. The stump nearly tore out of the ground from the intense weight it had to deal with, but Big Brother was able to keep himself from going over the edge. But he was in a predicament. His good arm was holding onto Susan, leaving him to slowly begin to lose his grip on the cable. To add to it, the strap of his gun, Big Ol' Bertha, had been hit as well and tore free from him and fell into the water below.

"Fontain must have thought that you were quite the hazard to his plans if he had to try and put you away. From what I heard, he succeeded for a time." The man who shot Susan was wearing a refitted Big Daddy suit. His body had been altered to fit inside, something that Big Brother had hoped would never happen to anyone again. But even with these alterations, the man inside was no Big Daddy.

"He was able to lock you away where you wouldn't interfere. But since you're standing here before me, my half-brother has failed miserably in the end. He was always the greedy one, never able to see the big picture. He had the power to create gods among men, yet all he could see was their money. Unlike him, I, Martin Fontain, won't fall for such things. I will remake this world in my image!"

Big Brother didn't care, he was about to pull Susan back up when another bullet hit his other shoulder. He slipped and the two nearly went over, but he used all of his might to keep them up.

"Oh, we can't have that, now can we? From the looks of you both, it would be best to be rid of you two now."

Susan looked up into Big Brother's panicked eyes as she started to slip out of his grasp. When his grip onto her arm slipped to her hand, he groaned for her to pull herself up. But she was had lost too much blood from the wound in the side of her chest. Big Brother didn't know what kind of bullet it was, but it's work was done. The glow in her eyes was beginning to fade as she was slowly dying. His grip slipped again and he lost his footing. While he kept his grip on the cable, his grip on Susan nearly failed. He was holding on for dear life as she was slipping from his grasp.

Susan flashed him a smile, one that would be forever etched into his memory, and let go.

Big Brother roared as loud as he could but there was nothing he could do as she dissapeared under the surface. He hung there for several seconds, hoping to see her reappear. But she never came. As he pulled himself up, Fontain walked up to him and pointed his pistol at Big Brother's head.

"It's not good business if your opposition is still around. It's nothing personal, but my world will be filled with new gods, meaning the old ones will have to die." With that, he pulled the trigger. "What?"

The man couldn't believe his eyes. Big Brother was still there, a look of such intense hatred in his eyes. And there, right in the middle of his forehead, was the bullet, stuck in his skin. The man unloaded the gun at point-blank range, but each shot stuck to his head. Big Brother shook himself and the bullets fell at the man's feet.

"How can this be? What the hell are you?"

"I...am...Big...BROTHER!" was his responce as he brought his fist down with such force that he shattered a fair portion of the cliff face. While Big Brother fell, Fontain was surprisingly quick and leaped back in time to be caught by a man larger than even the Panzer Fausts.

Big Brother hit the surface and let himself sink as large chunks of stone looked like they would become his grave. But as he was about to let himself go, to just close his eyes and end his suffering, he felt gentle hands take hold of his head.

Then came a scream that the water could never silence.

When it hit his ears, he opened his eyes and found himself looking into Susan's glowing eyes. The light was dim, but she still lived. The ocean was their world outside of Rapture, it was how they survived where others would have perished long ago.

Big Brother knew what had to be done and roared like he never did before.

They came like rolling thunder from a cloud of deep crimson. Three dozen Big Daddies of different kinds, many of the Bouncers carrying a Big Sister on his back, came charging through the water. The Big Sisters were using their Telekinesis to 'push' the water back and form a tunnel for the Big Daddies to travel through. They didn't care about the reason why they were here. They came and knew exactly where to go.

As they broke through the surface, the Big Sisters stayed behind to form a bubble around Big Brother and their fellow sister. When one of the Big Daddies, one of the Alpha Series, suddenly fell back into the water, a Big Sister swam up to him and the two dissapeared in a crimson cloud. But when one of the Landkruezers came down, the Sisters used their Telekinesis to hurl him back out.

Above the surface, the fight was nothing but pure chaos as Big Daddy fought the bigger Landkruezers. But even with all the modifications done to them, they were merely mockeries of the Big Daddies. The Landkruezers only had size on their side, but the Big Daddies had endurance, strength, and the will to fight like hell until all of their enemies were dead.

A Bouncer charged and planted his shoulder into the gut of one, while an Elite Bouncer hit the same target from behind. The Landkruezer was dropped like a stone as the two left him to look for new targets.

Three Rosies stood back, firing their rivet guns at the taller Landkruezers, their height becoming their disadvantage. While this was happening, the Alpha Series were working together by ramming themselves into their targets, igniting their elemental abilties on impact. Flashes of fire, ice, and lightning exploded, but the Big Daddies were strong enough to survive.

Then a stray rocked blew up a tree as a Rumbler missed his target. But he took aim again and blew the Lankruezer to pieces. He fired a couple more rockets before tossing a mini-turret on the ground, which added more confusion as it starting shooting away. Then things got a whole lot worse for the larger men when a trio of Lancers decided to go after those fighting on the edges of the battle. Their ion lasers made quick work of their targets as they concentrated their firepower.

This was how they were built, this was their purpose, and right now, they were defending Big Brother. They didn't care that he wasn't one of their Little Sisters, they didn't need to care. They would fight for as long as it would take because he was Big Brother, he was the first. They were built to be like Big Brother, the only one who ever had control over ADAM.

* * *

Martin Fontain couldn't believe what he was seeing. All of his creations were being destroyed by these freaks of nature. Though they were big, they shouldn't have had this much strength and drive. All he could think of was that his half-brother had been keeping secrets from him. Now his soldiers were paying for it!

As one of the Landkruezers fell at his feet, he decided it was about time for him to leave. Fontain threw on his diving helmet and ran. He didn't care about where he would go from here, only that he survived. All of this would not matter if he survived. He would leave his massacre and live on to rebuild.

After twenty minutes of straight running, he found himself at the edge of the ocean. He looked out into the water and thought he saw something in the distance, something red...

Without warning, he was lifted into the air and pulled into the water. Two smaller beings swam around him, holding him in place with some kind of power. He didn't know what was happening, only that he couldn't move.

Then they began to scream, a sound that echoed in his helmet. He cried in pain as his ears felt like they were about to burst. But then it all stopped and he was released. He didn't know what was happening, but he figured that this was his chance to get away.

Little did he know, the form of Gil Alexander was swimming up behind him. He could smell the strange ADAM Fontain had put into his body and wanted to have a taste.

The last thing Martin Fontain seen was a set of jaws coming at his face.

* * *

When the Battle was done and all of the Landkruezers were dead. Big Brother had the Big Daddies and Big Sisters collect all the bodies. He had them put them into a pile and set them ablaze. The heat was so intense that there was no biological remains left. Everything was turned to ash and molten slag. There was to be no traces of ADAM left on the surface.

Then he had the group all gather around him as he teleported them all back to Rapture. This was to be his final day on the surface, so he took a long hard look out across the ocean towards the setting sun. As it set on this day, so did it set on the existence of Rapture. This was going to be the last time he would ever see it. But there was something more important than that.

He turned his eyes to Susan, who was weak and pale in his arms. The bleeding had stopped, but she wasn't about to make a recovery. Big Brother gathered all the power he could muster and everyone vanished from that spot on the shattered cliff. He left the light of the surface and dove into the darkness as everyone reappeared inside Rapture.

Big Brother merely had to nod his head and the Big Daddies went to work. Each of them worked together to dig out the glowing biomass that had started everything here. Then the Big Sisters gathered all the ADAM slugs and put them in sacks to be burned.

Susan was getting weaker by the hour, but contact with Big Brother, her savior, kept her going. She looked into his eyes and smiled when she saw the one he already wore on his face. Once the slugs were dealt with and the biomass carried into the room, Big Brother knew that it was finally going to end.

As the Big Daddies and Big Sisters gathered around, Big Brother tapped into his last and final power. He opened his senses and listened to the dying heart that was Rapture's generators. He could feel their power still pulsing through the city. He reached out, touched them, and felt their power.

With a single motion, he tore out Rapture's heart, ending it's life. Without power, there would be nothing to recycle the air and keep it flowing. But he didn't care, for he had one of the Big Daddies punch a hole in one of the outer doors. As the water touched his feet, it quickly turned to ice.

None of the Big Daddies or Big Sisters complained as the ice overtook them, freezing them where they stood. The ice flowed over Big Brother, but reached out to form a sphere around him, Susan, and the biomass.

He sat there, his back trapped in ice, as he watched Rapture slowly fill with water. Then he touched the biomass, feeling the strange warm it gave him the first time he ever touched it. He could feel it's power flowing into him, but there was nothing left for it to change. So he unleashed this power, causing all of Rapture to become encased in ice. To be forever stuck in time, where it would never again influence the surface world.

Susan opened her eyes once more and looked into his. Big Brother kissed her forehead and laid her head against his chest. As she listened to his slowing heartbeat, she yawned and closed her eyes while ice enveloped her. Big Brother closed his eyes as well.

For the first time since it's creation, Rapture was silent. There would be no more screams, no death, no madness. Only peace, silence, with all of it's secrets hidden away where nobody would ever find them.

As he found true sleep, his soul felt warm for the first time in a long time.

* * *

"Susan, it's time to go, the rest of the family is leaving now!" Sara called.

The young girl wanted to stay and look out over the ocean some more, but it was dark now. But as long as they were together, they would live on and find a new place to call their home.

But just as she was about to turn away, the moon came out from behind the clouds and she thought she saw something out in the distance. She saw something looking back at her and tilted her head, only for it did the same.

_Big Brother is safe now, and this is for you._

Little Susan giggled when a makeshift Big Daddy doll was washed to shore. She nodded her head in thanks and waved as she left to join up with her parents. The strange being, once known as Gil Alexander, dissapeared below the surface and swam back down into the depths. It would never be known if he would ever return.


	14. Epilogue

In the remains of a once proud city, a lone figure wandered the empty streets. Everything here was barren of life, covered in sand and dust, a stark reminder of what he had left behind. He didn't care where he went, he just let himself wander. If he found food and water, so much the better, at least he wouldn't go hungry or thirsty while he wandered about.

His body was covered in makeshift armor, built from various plates of metal he found and hammered into shape. Even his helmet, which covered most of his face, was made from pieces of scrap. He didn't care about how he looked, he didn't care that any who seen him prefered to avoid him. None of it mattered to him.

When a bullet bounced off his helmet, he remembered that there was at least one thing that _really_ didn't care about.

* * *

Up inside the ruins of one of the buildings, a group of bandits had been watching the streets. One of them decided it would be too sweet a shot to pass up when they noticed the tall figure. He was in their territory, they always shot trespassers.

"Dang it, you missed!" one of them yelled.

"No I didn't, I hit him square on the noggin!" the shooter replied.

"Then why didn't he go down if you hit him in the head?"

"I don't know, think he's a mutie?"

"Let's hope not, we'll run out of bullets trying to drop one of those fuckers."

The shooter looked into his rifle's scope and was treated to a surprise, "Hey, where is he? Where'd he go?"

"This is what happens when you miss the first shot! You let him get away!"

"I told you, I hit him! He should be dead on the..." the bandit let his sentence die right there when he turned around.

"Dead on the what? If you're going to yell at me, at least finish you-" the man was sent flying from the building. The second soon followed him. When the tall man stomped on the floor, he fell through to the next floor, right on top of the rest of the bandit gang. They never stood a chance.

* * *

This all happened because of people's desire for war. The world has changed, the people who lived in it has changed, but the desire for war was always there.

And when a nuclear warhead dropped into a fault line and caused a massive earthquake, their desires for war unleashed something that had no desire for it. They wanted death and destruction, now there was one who would show them what their efforts have sown.

War. War never changes. But even if he looked different now, he hasn't changed either.

* * *

**Big news! Big Brother is not dead! Of course you know that already, I wrote it. But here's the thing, his adventure has not ended yet.**

**Big Brother: The Second Wanderer**

**It's the sequal to Big Brother: The First Protector. You can find it in Games-Crossovers-Bioshock/Fallout**


End file.
